Food allergies among children on the rise in UAE
05:35AM Wed 19 Feb, 2014
Dubai: Every fifth child out of 100 children suffers from food allergy in the UAE and parents should not neglect the symptoms, experts said at the International Family Medicine Conference on Tuesday.
Food allergies are growing among children and schools should have a plan and be aware of how to handle allergy-related emergencies, they said.
There are various reasons for the growing incidence and it could be due to early introduction of solid food for babies, and genetic factors, said Wafa’a Ayesh, director of clinical nutrition at the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
“Those who are allergic to certain foods should write down everything they eat. “The nutritionist will detect what is causing the allergy and then work on eliminating those foods,” she said.
Every school in the UAE should have a plan on how to deal with food allergies, said Dr Ammar Al Douri, general practitioner at MedCare Hospital. He said only some “high-end” schools now have such a plan and that all institutions should be forced to have one.
“Food allergy is an abnormal response by the immune system,” he said. “Nobody knows what the outcome will be and, in some rare situations, it could be life-threatening,” he said.
The doctor said the plan should be written down and every child with food allergy should be documented. “Teachers should be aware of how to treat an anaphylaxis,” he said. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction. The symptoms progress fast, from abdominal pain to abnormal breathing to anxiety, continuous cough to difficulty in breathing, hives, vomiting and unconsciouness.
The doctor said it is important when there are children with allergies in class that no food is present in the classroom. Children should be taught hygiene and frequent washing of hands. The area where food is prepared (in the cafeteria) should be clean as food allergens from foods prepared earlier can contaminate the foods.
Dr Al Douri said family physicians should be aware of the difference between food allergies and food intolerance. He said in the latter there is an association with stress, anxiety, and maybe drugs. “My message to the community is do not try to diagnose a food allergy yourself and treat it as food intolerance. Leave that to the doctor,” he said.
Wafa’a said food intolerance is due to eating wheat products. There is also lactose intolerance, she said. “Parents should be educated so that they are aware,” she said.
The two-day Family Medicine Conference ended on Tuesday. Dr Tawfik Khoja, Director-General of the Executive Board of Health Ministers’ Council for GCC States, said it is time to put more emphasis on family medicine.
“Without a scientific approach we cannot build a health-care system. It is time for the GCC to have an evidence-based approach to build a stronger health-care system,” he said.
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