Simon Lauder reported this story on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 08:10:02

ASHLEY HALL: There's new evidence that food allergies are not just a problem for small children, they're also on the rise among older children and teenagers.



A study published this morning shows the rise of food allergies continues unabated in Australia, and it warns of an increasing burden on the health system.



Researchers have found the number of admissions to Australian hospitals because of severe allergic reactions has grown by 50 per cent since 2005.



Simon Lauder reports.



SIMON LAUDER: The rapid and mysterious rise of food allergies since the mid 90s has been well documented. But there's now evidence that a life-threatening allergy is not just a concern for very young children; it may turn into a chronic condition.



MIMI TANG: The major implication from our findings is that rates of serious allergic reactions are increasing at a compounding rate.



Food allergies in children are going to persist through to adulthood.



SIMON LAUDER: Professor Mimi Tang from the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute in Melbourne has been examining data on hospital admissions for allergic reactions.



MIMI TANG: And many people who experience anaphylaxis talk about an impending sense of doom. They actually feel like they're going to die.



SIMON LAUDER: Professor Tang and her colleagues weren't surprised to find that the rate of hospitalisations increased by 50 per cent between 2005 and 2012 and that anaphylaxis is still most common in children under the age of five.



But the data also reveals what's happened to the first of the food allergy generation.



MIMI TANG: A third finding, which was quite intriguing to us, was that the rate of increase where previously was greatest in the under fives had shifted; and now the greatest rates of increase are seen in the five to 14 year old age group, which I guess suggests to us the same children that in the past had been affected by rapid rise in food allergy continue to be affected by rapid rise in food allergy.



SIMON LAUDER: Does this indicate that it's not something you shake off when you get older, you don't grow out of it?



MIMI TANG: Yeah, that's correct. That's exactly right.



So we think what's happening is young children from a decade ago were having increased rates of food allergy.



They're now in the cohort of five to 14, still having increased rates of admission for food allergy, and presumably will continue to have repeated episodes of serious food allergy reactions as they continue to age into adults because they're suffering from food allergies that persist.



SIMON LAUDER: Professor Tang says that will have a serious impact on the health system.



MIMI TANG: What we will see is a compounding of disease burden in years to come.



SIMON LAUDER: What kind of burden do you think this will put on the healthcare system, particularly when it comes to accessing specialist services etc?



MIMI TANG: Well currently specialist services are already overwhelmed.



In most paediatric allergy services, there is a 12 month or more waiting list for general food allergy referrals.



SIMON LAUDER: Hygiene levels, the delayed introduction of foods to a baby's diet and even UV exposure are considered contributing factors to the allergy problem but there are no definite explanations.



Professor Tang says the solution is more research and eventually a cure.



MIMI TANG: We have to work towards identifying approaches to prevent food allergy and stem this tide of new food allergy.



But also there is now a significant number of people out there with established food allergy and so we need to work towards identifying a cure.



SIMON LAUDER: Do you think that's possible?



MIMI TANG: Well certainly a large number of researchers around the world are working towards identifying a cure.



The study is published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.



ASHLEY HALL: Simon Lauder.