Food allergy in children is a serious condition that has to be managed properly to avoid any life-threatening occurrences. Unfortunately, many parents report miscommunication with the doctors regarding the management of food allergies among their kids.
According to a new study from Northwestern Medicine and the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago published by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice and reported by News Medical, many parents say that their kids' pediatricians did not give them information about the proper use of epinephrine auto-injector and a written food allergy emergency plan. An epinephrine auto-injector is used for stopping allergic reactions while a written food allergy emergency plan details the mild and severe symptoms of food allergy and the things to do in cases of allergy attacks.
"These points need to be hammered home by the physician at every visit," Dr. Ruchi Gupta, associate professor in pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Lurie Children's Hospital, told News Medical. "This is potentially lifesaving information. Physicians need to make sure patients understand when and how to use epinephrine and that they have an emergency action plan."
The extensive study reveals that less than 70 percent of parents can remember their allergists giving them proper information on epinephrine use, less than 40 percent of parents said the same about their pediatricians and even fewer parents remember being given a written emergency plan for their children's food allergies.
The miscommunication between doctors and parents in managing children's food allergies needs to be remedied as soon as possible. It has become more alarming since statistics show that food allergy affects 1 in every 13 children or those under 18-years-old. There has also been a rise of about 50 percent between 1997 and 2011 in the cases of food allergies in children, according to Food Allergy.
