Everyone knows that milk and eggs are two of the biggest allergens, especially in small children. . .everyone except the pediatrician, according to a survey of doctors.
Just 27 per cent of pediatricians correctly identified the two foods as the most common allergens; instead, 34 per cent reckoned strawberries were one of the most common, although the fruit affects only one per cent of the population. Just 13 per cent identified artificial food colorants as an allergen.
People with allergies, or who care for children who do, need to keep up-to-date with the latest information about treatments, but doctors don’t seem to be the best place to go, says allergist Kara Wada, who surveyed 409 doctors in the US.
Most pediatricians who took part in the survey also didn’t think a skin prick test for allergies was effective until the child reached the age of three-when it’s accurate on children of any age-and the majority quizzed also confused iodine contrast agent, used for CT scans, with iodine in shellfish.
(Source: Proceedings of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual scientific meeting, November 7, 2014).
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