Researchers Use EHR Systems to ID Pediatric Allergy Patterns

TUESDAY, Aug. 1, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- In a study published online July 25 in Pediatrics, the authors describe pediatric allergy patterns across the United States.

Stanislaw J. Gabryszewski, M.D., Ph.D., from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and colleagues defined a cohort of 218,485 children (aged 0 to 18 years) who were observed for at least five years between 1999 and 2020 using the multistate Comparative Effectiveness Research through Collaborative Electronic Reporting electronic health record database. Children with atopic dermatitis, immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy (IgE-FA), asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and eosinophilic esophagitis were identified.

The researchers found that the allergic disease cumulative incidence was 10.3, 4.0, 20.1, 19.7, and 0.11 percent for atopic dermatitis, IgE-FA, asthma, AR, and eosinophilic esophagitis, respectively, with peak ages of 4, 13, 13, 26, and 35 months, respectively. Peanut, egg, and shellfish were the most diagnosed IgE-FAs (1.9, 0.8, and 0.6 percent, respectively). Overall, 13.4 percent of children had two or more allergic conditions; respiratory allergies (asthma and AR) were often comorbid with each other and other allergic conditions.

"This study provides an important overview of patterns and prevalence of allergic diseases in children, which is crucial as families and pediatricians observe symptoms that could be indicative of emerging allergies," senior author David A. Hill, M.D., Ph.D., also of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said in a statement. "Future studies should seek to define high-risk allergy populations who may benefit from screening and identify potentially modifiable disparities in disease outcomes."

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)