493 The Prevalence of Food Allergy in Children under 2 Years in Three Cities in China

BACKGROUND: To estimate the prevalence and clinical features of food allergy in children aged 0 to 2 years. METHODS: From January to February, 2009 and January to May, 2010, all well-infants and young children between the age of 0-2 years attending routine health visits at the Department of Primary Child Care, in Chongqing, Zhuhai and Hangzhou were invited to participate the study. Parents completed questionnaires and all children were skin prick tested to a panel of 10 foods (egg white, egg yolk, cow milk, soybean, peanut, wheat, fish, shrimp, orange and carrot). Based on the results of SPT and medical history, the subjects should undergo the suspected food elimination and oral food challenge under medical supervision. Food allergy was confirmed by the food challenge test. RESULTS: There were 1,687 children recruited by the consent of their parents. Of 1,687 children approached, 1,604 (550 for Chongqing, 573 for Zhuhai and 481 for Hangzhou) fulfilled the study criteria for diagnosing food allergy. 100 children were confirmed to have challenge-proven food allergy in 3 cities (40 for Chongqing, 33 for Zhuhai and 27 for Hangzhou). The prevalence of food allergy in 0 to 2 years old children in Chongqing was 7.3%, in Zhuhai was 5.8% and in Hangzhou was 5.5%. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of food allergy in children under 2 years among the 3 cities, and the average prevalence for food allergy in children under 2 years was 6.2%. Egg was the most common allergen, followed by cow milk. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of food allergy in 0 to 2 years old children in China was 5.5% to 7.3%. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of food allergy in children under 2 years among the 3 cities. Egg was the most common allergen, followed by cow milk.