European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

FOOD ALLERGIES IN CHILDHOOD

*Dr. Dhananjay D. Deshmukh

ABSTRACT

Adverse reactions to food are divided into food intolerance, which are adverse physiological responses, and food hypersensivities, which include adverse immunologic responses. Etiopathogenesis: Although Food represents largest antigenic load confronting the body, the gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is able to readily discriminate between harmless food and pathogenic organisms. Even though roughly 2% of antigenic protein reach systemic circulation at each meal. It is ignored due to T cell anergy and T regulatory cells. Ingestion of food normally leads to oral tolerance. In infants functional barriers (stomach acidity, glycocalyx) and immunologic barriers (lg A) are immature, allowing increased penetration of antigens. Therefore food hypersensitivities are common during infancy. Hypersensitivities to food are mediated by two major ways: 1 g E mediated and T cell mediated reactions. Exposure and sensitization to proteins often occur very early in life, because intact food proteins are passed to infants through breast milk, and during weaning many parents provide their infants with a highly varied diet. Virtually all milk allergies develop by 12 no. of age and all egg allergies by 18 no. of age. Intermittent ingestion of allergenic foods leads to acute symptoms whereas prolonged exposure may lead to chromic disorders such as atopic dermatitis and asthma.

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