New York, June 21 (IANS) Nearly six million children in the US suffer from allergic reactions towards certain food items, says a new study.
This estimate is higher than some previous research has reported. The reactions are often severe and many kids have more than one allergy, Xinhua reported citing the study published in Pediatrics.
Researchers from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine surveyed parents of over 38,000 children about whether their child had been diagnosed with a food allergy and had one or more of a number of symptoms, including swelling of the lips, eyes or face and skin rashes.
The study said peanuts (25 percent), milk (21 percent) and shellfish (17 percent) were the top three allergens.
Severe reactions were most common among children with tree nut and fin fish allergies. The reactions were more likely among 14 to 17-year-olds compared to two-year-olds.