Researchers are going ‘nuts’ over new findings that reveal children born in Australia to Asian mothers have an increased chance of developing a nut allergy, in contrast to those born in Asia who migrate to Australia.
The study findings, released by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and University of Melbourne in January 2016, incorporated data from 57,000 five year-olds collected in a 2010 School Entrant Health Questionnaire from Victoria.
Lead study investigator, Professor Katie Allen from Victoria told the ABC, “The [latest] piece of information shows that if children were born in Asia and then moved to Australia, they are protected against food allergy.
“This is an incredibly exciting finding, because it provides really solid evidence about the fact that there’s something in the environment that’s driving this allergic epidemic,” said Prof Allen.
The new research suggests children born in Asia are less susceptible to allergies due to their exposure to a particular diet, bacteria and different UV exposure.
The research findings come in the wake of an allergy crisis sweeping Australia, following the rise of food-related anaphylaxis hospital admission rates increasing from 5.6 per cent in 2006 to 8.2 per cent in 2012, with the highest increases occurring among children aged 5-to-14 years. Although further investigation is required into the association between child migration from Asia to Australia and its association with allergies, this study offers health experts an insight into why children are growing increasingly susceptible to nut allergies, allowing for the development of medical remedies.