[Comparison of subjectively perceived hypersensitivity to selected additives-containing foods among children with and without food allergy/intolerance].
The incidence of adverse reactions to food additives is difficult to establish and therefore not completely known. The equally important problem is to what extent food additives induce ailments and to what degree they exacerbate symptoms of the already existing disease, e.g. urticaria, atopic dermatitis, asthma or rhinitis. The aim of the present study is to establish the actual incidence of this problem in the population of school-age children and adolescents. This work presents the preliminary evaluation. Analysis of the questionnaire data obtained from parents or foster-parents of 5044 children aged 6-16 years from Białystok has revealed that 9.8% of children complain of subjective adverse symptoms after consumption of particular foods containing additives. The aim of this stage of the study is to determine and compare the incidence of adverse symptoms ascribed to food additives in the group of children with food allergy and/or intolerance and in unburdened children. The incidence of each of the evaluated features (i.e. type of food, clinical symptoms) was statistically significantly higher in children with symptoms of allergy or intolerance (p < 0.001).
Zagórecka
Ewa
E
Zakład Propedeutyki Pediatrii Akademii Medycznej w Białymstoku.
Kaczmarski
Maciej
M
Piotrowska-Jastrzebska
Janina
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005503:Food Additives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D005503:Food Additives