A Food Allergy is an immunologically-mediated adverse reaction to certain foods. This means that the body's immune system, which usually fights infection, produces substances that cause the body to react badly to that food.
There is limited information on Food Allergies in Singapore. It is estimated that not more than 5% of children younger than 12 years old have Food Allergies and the prevalence declines with age to about 1% in adults1.
Children usually outgrow some Food Allergies such as milk and eggs. Outgrowing is less likely with a seafood or nut allergy.
The cause of Food Allergies is unknown. Children with a strong family history of Food Allergies are at a higher risk of developing Food Allergies, suggesting that genes may contribute to developing Food Allergies. However, the exact genes that are responsible are unknown.
Environmental factors are also thought to play a part. Studies have shown that delayed introduction of foods into the baby's diet tend to increase the risk of developing Food Allergies. It is unclear how much this may hold true in an Asian population. This also means that the introduction of solid foods should not be delayed beyond 4 to 6 months of age, including the so-called "allergenic" foods like egg and peanut.
Source: 15th West-Pacific Allergy Symposium & 7th Korea-Japan Joint Allergy Symposium