A large national study of food allergies in the U. S. finds that more children have allergies, including severe allergies, than previously thought.
The study found 8 percent of children younger than 18 had a food allergy, or roughly 5.9 million children. Of those, 38.7 percent had a history of severe reactions, and 30.4 percent had multiple food allergies.
The most common foods children were allergic to were peanuts ( 25.2 percent), milk (21.1 percent) and shellfish (17.2 percent).
More information: American Academy of Pediatrics
