Food Allergies at Home: The Hidden Emotional Toll

Food Allergies at Home: The Hidden Emotional Toll
Food Allergies at Home: The Hidden Emotional Toll Credit | Shutterstock

United States: When a child has food allergies most parents completely remove the offending food from their home environment, as reported by HealthDay.

According to the researchers our strategy brings emotional stress.

Allergen-Free Homes Bring Emotional Challenges

According to recently published findings in the JAMA Network Open study parents who eliminate specific foods from their homes because of their child’s allergies tend to suffer reduced quality of life because of ongoing stress concerns.

“In this study, most families chose to exclude food allergens from their household, and families engaging in this practice reported more food allergy-related psychosocial concerns than families who did not,” concluded the research team led by Hana Ruran, a research intern in immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Food Allergies: A Widespread Concern

Research reports show that food allergies affect 10 percent of children worldwide.

The scientists collected responses from over 900 families who had a child with food allergies during the months from April 2022 to November 2023.

Research revealed that 64% of parents stopped using allergenic foods within their household after their child showed reactions.

The team detected that parents typically took peanut (62%), tree nut (55%), and sesame (51%) products out of their kitchen.

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Even though 24% of homes had egg allergies they decided not to ban eggs from their kitchen. Children with allergies to cow’s milk, soy, or wheat faced lower rates of being banned from the kitchen.

“Other studies have found that psychosocial distress may be experienced in greater proportions in families of children with peanut, tree nut, and sesame allergies compared with families of children with other food allergies, such as egg and milk, which are equally important, more prevalent, and potentially life-threatening,” the researchers wrote.

People whose families avoid food at home reported reduced quality of life through increased stress and uncertainty, according to science.

Stress and Anxiety Linked to Food Exclusion

The anxiety scores of children 8 to 17 increase when they live in homes where food is restricted due to allergies, as reported by HealthDay.

Children in food-excluding homes display high anxiety scores in about 30% of cases which contrasts with 16% of children in regular homes.

Doctors can assist families in dealing with food allergy fears according to researchers.