Children’s food allergies in Kluczbork county

Abstract

Background. The article presents the problems of food allergies diagnosed in selected groups of children (infants, toddlers, preschool children and schoolchildren). Material and methods. An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted in Kluczbork County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland to identify the occurrence of allergies. Different aspects of the problem were analysed, i.e. parents’ education and their awareness of allergies, types of allergy tests, different allergy treatment methods, the duration of breastfeeding vs the incidence of allergies, and allergic symptoms. Results. Cow's milk proteins were the most common cause of allergic reactions in the infant group. There was no distinctive food allergy in the other groups. In addition, food allergies developed in infancy tended to disappear when the children grew older. Conclusions. The parents and guardians with higher education paid more attention to the content of allergens in the products given to their children. They had better knowledge of proper nutrition of children with food allergies. They had easier access to food allergy tests and analysed the labels of products given to their children more carefully. The parents and guardians with secondary education had their children tested for allergies only if they could afford it. The majority of the parents and guardians with primary education lived in rural areas, so their children consumed more natural products with fewer allergens.