May is National Food Allergy Awareness Month. For approximately 300,000 Canadian children and their families, or one child in every classroom, constant anxiety and stress over the possibility of a deadly allergic reaction is a reality of everyday life.
The most common allergens causing anaphylaxis are nuts, eggs, milk, and insects. The prevalence of allergy is on the rise, with an approximate 18 per cent increase in severe allergic reactions over the past 15 years. Researchers don’t currently know why.
“Navigating the world of allergies can be a daunting and overwhelming task, especially for parents with children affected. There is an increasing realization and appreciation that food allergies do not only affect the child diagnosed, but also their family, friends, classroom, and community,” says Dr. Eyal Grunebaum, Head, Immunology & Allergy.
“Now more than ever before, researchers are poised for major breakthroughs in allergy research that will transform children’s health. In fact, we believe that we can cure allergy in the next decade.”
SickKids believes we can cure allergy in the next decade. Now, more than ever before, researchers are poised on the cusp of major breakthroughs in allergy research and have the tools at their disposal to develop a cure for allergy. Within the next decade, the Allergy Program at SickKids will drive transformation in children’s health to eliminate the health challenges and emotional burden posed by the threat of allergic reaction.
SickKids is doing the following:
- Exploring ways to turn anaphylaxis into a non-fatal reaction via oral treatment (i.e. pill)
- Looking at a type of immune cell that can control allergic responses
- Investigating the ability to predict which children will be able to tolerate allergenic food if it is prepared differently
- Working to predict, at birth, a predisposition to allergy and seeking to modify or eliminate allergic response through genetic or drug interventions
