Anaphylaxis on the rise

A single nut, a sliver of seafood, a trace of egg, they are the archenemies of a growing number of Australians who suffer the potentially deadly allergic condition Anaphylaxis.

It is a condition ambulance officer Paul Holman treats often.

"It's a very diverse illness and each individual reacts differently. The terrible end of the scale is when we've got things like constriction of the airways, facial swellings, swelling of the airways and that of course can lead to quite rapid death because someone can't breathe," Paul said.

Just last week 21-year-old waitress, Michelle Bray collapsed and died after a single bite of a seafood dim sim.

Professor Jo Douglass is an allergy specialist at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital.

"It can be fatal. Sadly in Australia we probably know every year a couple of people do die of anaphylaxis, so its a very sad event in those cases," Associate Professor Douglass said.

"We know that anaphylaxis, the occurrence of anaphylaxis, is increasing throughout the western world and we know that at the current time we think probably about 1 in 200 adults are possibly likely to have anaphylaxis. It's probably more common than that in children," she added.

Martha and Nigel Baptist believe their 4-year-old son Alex died from anaphylactic shock at kindergarten three years ago, after accidental contact with peanut Butter.

Alex had previously been diagnosed with severe peanut allergy but a coroner later found that he could equally have died from a possible heart condition. Whatever the cause of their son’s death the Baptists have made anaphylaxis education their mission.

"Risk management strategies, minimization techniques, identifying where I suppose contamination can occur. Children having action plans up, staff all being EPI-pen trained, in general anaphylaxis management," Martha said.

Amanda Tipping started her own day care centre 10 years ago and says allergies are by far the fastest growing problem with small children she’s seen.

"To have a centre with only 55 and to have at least five or six a day with allergies, is quite large. We used to have maybe one child in an entire centre of 40 that had an allergy," she said.

Amanda now identifies allergic children with brightly colored wristbands. The wristbands were the brainchild of Tiffany Thojaya, one of the mums at the centre. Her two-year-old daughter Elisha is severely allergic to nuts, dairy and eggs.

"The hope is that the adults will see them and the children who wear them, the people who care for them, will be reminded," Tiffany said.

Certainly this generation of children are growing up knowing about allergies.

So we know the triggers and we know that adrenaline shots can save lives, but what we don’t know is why food allergies and anaphylaxis have reached epidemic proportions. Doctors in a Canberra hospital found that Australian hospital admission rates for food anaphylaxis in children to the age of four, grew from 39.3 per million children in 1993-94, to 193.8 per million 10 years later.

"It's been speculated that it is the chemicals in our food, there’s a whole range of issues," said Paul, who’s own daughter Emma is highly allergic to nuts.

Paul is as keen as anyone to find answers theories range from the use of antacids for babies, prolonged breastfeeding and mothers starting families later in life.

For further information:
To donate to the John Ilhan Food Allergy Foundation, visit the website at:
www.ilhanfoundation.org

Kids Alert Wristbands are available through pharmacies and health food stores, or visit the website at: www.kidsalert.com.au or by calling: 0430 515 366