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16 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • March 2022 Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING Food allergies affect 1 in 13 U.S. children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But while some par- ents may remember being told to delay the introduction of hyper allergenic foods such as peanuts to infants, research increasingly shows that early introduction of these foods to children between 4 and 6 months is key to prevent- ing the onset of food allergies. Allergy Partners of Fredericksburg is one of the only practices in Virginia where patients can receive oral immunotherapy, or OIT, a treatment that has been proven to reduce the severity of the most common food allergies. As our March Expert, Dr. Nicholas Klaiber, M.D., a double-board- certified, fellowship-trained phy- sician who is part of the Allergy Partners team, discusses the latest advice for parents on iden- tifying and seeking treatment for food allergies. Q: How prevalent are food allergies in American youth, and what are the most common foods causing food allergies? Food allergies have dramatically increased in prevalence over the last 20-30 years. Egg and milk allergies are the most common, but the good news is that 90% of children are going to outgrow an egg or milk allergy. That is not the case with peanut or tree nut allergies, which typically do not go away once they develop. Today there are approximately 1.5 million kids with peanut allergy in the United States. The most hyperallergenic foods are: • Peanuts • Tree nuts • Shellfish • Fish • Eggs • Milk • Soy • Sesame The molecular characteristics of these foods make them very good at causing allergic reac- tions. Over 90% of anaphylactic food reactions are caused by these items. You don't have to worry so much about fruits and vegetables causing allergic reactions. Although those foods can cause skin irritation and oral discomfort, they are much less likely to cause the kind of catastrophic anaphylactic reaction that we use an EpiPen for. Dr. Nicholas Klaiber, M.D.