Funding needed for vital research

Chances are you did not know anyone with food allergies when you were a child. However, between 1997 and 2002 the number of children under 5 with peanut allergy doubled. Almost all children today know someone with food allergies.

The most common allergies are all common foods: milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut, tree nuts, fish and shellfish. Even a small trace of one of these foods can cause an allergic reaction. But, with what we know today, health-care providers cannot tell with certainty how severe that reaction may be. A rash could develop, or the throat can swell to cause suffocation. There are treatments for reactions, but there is no cure.

Sending a child to school with a food allergy is complicated even beyond the cafeteria. Food is frequently used in classroom projects and, whenever food is in the classroom, the allergic child must shift their focus from the lesson to how to avoid the food.

Parents of children with food allergies face tough questions: How did this happen to my child since there are no allergies in my family? Will my child out grow this? What if we have more children; will they have food allergy? Exactly how careful do we need to be to make sure my child is safe? Unfortunately, once again health-care providers cannot answer any of these questions with certainty.

What we do know with certainty is that we need more money for research. We are so close to a cure, yet the National Institute of Health currently spends only $10 million annually on this. I urge our members of Congress to do what they can to champion this cause. With adequate funding we can find a cure in just a few more years.

Christine Szychlinski

Manager, Bunning Food

Allergy Program

Children's Memorial

Hospital

Chicago