Should Younger Siblings of Peanut-Allergic Children Be Assessed by an Allergist before Being Fed Peanut?

<p/> <p>The objective of this study was to determine the risk of peanut allergy in siblings of peanut-allergic children. In 2005-2006, 560 households of children born in 1995 in the province of Manitoba, Canada, were surveyed. The index children (8-to 10-year-olds) were assessed by a ped...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Liem Joel J, Huq Saiful, Kozyrskyj Anita L, Becker Allan B
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2008-12-01
Series:Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.aacijournal.com/content/4/4/144
Description
Summary:<p/> <p>The objective of this study was to determine the risk of peanut allergy in siblings of peanut-allergic children. In 2005-2006, 560 households of children born in 1995 in the province of Manitoba, Canada, were surveyed. The index children (8-to 10-year-olds) were assessed by a pediatric allergist and had skin-prick testing and/or capRAST for peanut allergy. Surveys were completed by parents for siblings to determine the presence of peanut allergy. Of 560 surveys, 514 (92%) were completed. Twenty-nine (5.6%) index children were peanut allergic. Fifteen of 900 (1.7%) siblings had peanut allergy. Four of 47 (8.5%) were siblings of peanut-allergic children and 11 of 853 (1.3%) were siblings of non-peanut-allergic children. The risk of peanut allergy was markedly increased in siblings of a peanut-allergic child (odds ratio 6.72, 95% confidence interval 2.04-22.12). Siblings of peanut-allergic children are much more likely to be allergic to peanut. An allergy assessment by a qualified allergist should be routinely recommended before feeding peanut to these children.</p>
ISSN:1710-1484
1710-1492