Teh One Who Knocks
11-06-2015, 01:22 PM
SHABNAM DASTGHEIB - Stuff.co.nz
http://i.imgur.com/LRrVIwg.jpg
A 4-year-old Auckland boy on an "extreme" diet that limited him to meat and vegetables and not much else went into anaphylaxis when he was finally permitted a few spoonfuls of yoghurt.
Researchers said the boy was an example of the dangers of an emerging trend of parents using "exclusion diets" to control suspected allergies in their children.
Experts say the diets can do serious harm and children can become intolerant to the foods excluded and suffer from anaphylaxis when exposed to them.
A new study published in the Australasian Journal of Dermatology said the Auckland boy's parents were trying to control his eczema by cutting out several whole food groups.
This was despite the fact that earlier skin prick tests had confirmed that a food allergy was not the cause of his eczema.
The boy had been under strict dietary exclusions in the six to eight months before being taken to hospital with anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) after he ate a few spoonfuls of yoghurt.
He presented at hospital with with hives, facial swelling and throat tightness.
His diet had been curated to exclude dairy, wheat, soy, egg, fish, shellfish, lentils, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, rice, potato, ham, pasta and nuts.
The boy's diet was mainly papaya, pumpkin, carrots, beef, pork, lamb liver and meat broth as well as some other vegetables and a fish oil supplement.
Researchers said eczema was a common childhood complaint and a few sufferers were allergic to certain foods but some parents made their child observe extreme dietary exclusions for prolonged periods even without clear benefit.
Unbalanced diets with excessive consumption of fruits and vegetables could lead to carotenemia, which the boy also had, which is a benign yellowing of the skin.
Exclusion or elimination diets, where whole food groups are cut out in the hopes of boosting health, curbing allergies or losing weight, have been gaining traction over the past few years.
Healthy Food guide nutritionist Claire Turnbull said the most common exclusion diets she had seen cut out dairy or grains or both.
"Parents want to do the best things for their children. People don't want their children to eat unhealthy foods but there is a balance and you can take it way too far."
Turnbull said she had seen the emerging trend of very restricted diets over the past year or two and increasing numbers of parents were also putting their children on the same diets.
"You end up with children with a dysfunctional relationship with food."
She said exclusion diets needed the diagnosis and monitoring of a medical specialist, particularly for children who needed calcium and fibre during growth.
The boy profiled in the study had his dietary exclusions relaxed under supervision and there weren't any ongoing concerns.
Researchers said the test revealed the risks of anaphylaxis from loss of tolerance, a consequence of unnecessary dietary exclusions.
Food allergies and eczema were common but dietary elimination was needed only to manage confirmed food allergies, the study said.
http://i.imgur.com/LRrVIwg.jpg
A 4-year-old Auckland boy on an "extreme" diet that limited him to meat and vegetables and not much else went into anaphylaxis when he was finally permitted a few spoonfuls of yoghurt.
Researchers said the boy was an example of the dangers of an emerging trend of parents using "exclusion diets" to control suspected allergies in their children.
Experts say the diets can do serious harm and children can become intolerant to the foods excluded and suffer from anaphylaxis when exposed to them.
A new study published in the Australasian Journal of Dermatology said the Auckland boy's parents were trying to control his eczema by cutting out several whole food groups.
This was despite the fact that earlier skin prick tests had confirmed that a food allergy was not the cause of his eczema.
The boy had been under strict dietary exclusions in the six to eight months before being taken to hospital with anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) after he ate a few spoonfuls of yoghurt.
He presented at hospital with with hives, facial swelling and throat tightness.
His diet had been curated to exclude dairy, wheat, soy, egg, fish, shellfish, lentils, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, rice, potato, ham, pasta and nuts.
The boy's diet was mainly papaya, pumpkin, carrots, beef, pork, lamb liver and meat broth as well as some other vegetables and a fish oil supplement.
Researchers said eczema was a common childhood complaint and a few sufferers were allergic to certain foods but some parents made their child observe extreme dietary exclusions for prolonged periods even without clear benefit.
Unbalanced diets with excessive consumption of fruits and vegetables could lead to carotenemia, which the boy also had, which is a benign yellowing of the skin.
Exclusion or elimination diets, where whole food groups are cut out in the hopes of boosting health, curbing allergies or losing weight, have been gaining traction over the past few years.
Healthy Food guide nutritionist Claire Turnbull said the most common exclusion diets she had seen cut out dairy or grains or both.
"Parents want to do the best things for their children. People don't want their children to eat unhealthy foods but there is a balance and you can take it way too far."
Turnbull said she had seen the emerging trend of very restricted diets over the past year or two and increasing numbers of parents were also putting their children on the same diets.
"You end up with children with a dysfunctional relationship with food."
She said exclusion diets needed the diagnosis and monitoring of a medical specialist, particularly for children who needed calcium and fibre during growth.
The boy profiled in the study had his dietary exclusions relaxed under supervision and there weren't any ongoing concerns.
Researchers said the test revealed the risks of anaphylaxis from loss of tolerance, a consequence of unnecessary dietary exclusions.
Food allergies and eczema were common but dietary elimination was needed only to manage confirmed food allergies, the study said.