To the Editor: In their report of a child with peanut allergy who developed sunflower seed allergy, Hsu and Katelaris caution against marketing claims of “safe alternatives” in allergic children.1 Their report also raises practical issues for those advising the parents of a child with food allergy: what is the risk of a new allergy developing; should a child with peanut or tree nut allergy avoid similar foods as well; and will food avoidance prevent new allergy from developing?
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- Department of Allergy and Immunology, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
- 1. Hsu DC, Katelaris CH. Is “nut-free” sunflower seed butter safe for children with peanut allergy [letter]? Med J Aust 2007; 187: 542-543.
- 2. Clark AT, Ewan PW. The development and progression of allergy to multiple nuts at different ages. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2005; 16: 507-511.
- 3. Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA). Allergy prevention in children. http://www.allergy.org.au/content/view/182/1 (accessed Dec 2007).
- 4. Arshad SH, Bateman B, Sadeghnejad A, et al. Prevention of allergic disease during childhood by allergen avoidance: the Isle of Wight prevention study. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2007; 119: 307-313.
- 5. Tarini BA, Carroll AE, Sox CM, Christakis DA. Systematic review of the relationship between early introduction of solid foods to infants and the development of allergic disease. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2006; 160: 502-507.
- 6. Poole JA, Barriga K, Leung DY, et al. Timing of initial exposure to cereal grains and the risk of wheat allergy. Pediatrics 2006; 117: 2175-2182.