Study: Children with Private Insurance Are More Likely to Outgrow Food Allergies Than Publicly Insured Children

New study findings announced that children with private insurance were more likely to outgrow a food allergy, compared to children who were enrolled in public insurance. The results were presented at the 2023 American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting, where researchers shared that the reasoning remains unclear.

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“We reviewed a cohort of food allergy patients enrolled in the FORWARD (Food Allergy Management and Outcomes Related to Racial/Ethnic Differences from Infancy through Adolescence) study to try to determine which had outgrown their food allergies,” said Arabelle Abellard, MD, MSc, an allergist and lead author of the study, in a press release. “Milk and egg allergy were the most frequently outgrown allergies. And children with public insurance (12%) compared to children with private insurance (29%) were significantly less likely to report outgrowing food allergy.”

The study authors noted that the cohort included 188 individuals—6.2% male, 51% Black, 32% White, and 16% Latinx. The children were 0 to 12 years of age with IgE-mediated, physician-diagnosed food allergy.

The children were asked questions that surveyed outgrowing food allergies, according to study authors.

The results found that 21% of children outgrew at least 1 food allergy, totaling 72 food allergies that were outgrown. The study authors noted that the average age that the child reported to outgrow an allergy was 5 years old. The most recurrent outgrown allergies were milk, then eggs, followed by tree nuts, soy, and lastly peanuts.

Among the children that outgrew allergies, 12% were publicly insured and 29% were privately insured.

“This study provides additional information to our growing body of research on how and why children outgrow food allergies, specifically studying, for the first time, children from various racial groups,” said Amal Assa'ad, MD, an allergist and co-author of the study, in a press release. “As food allergies cause social, emotional, and physical burdens on children and their families, food allergy researchers seek data to assist in our search for cures.”

In a separate study, the researchers highlighted a medical case of a 15-year-old girl that had an anaphylactic allergy to egg products. When the adolescent entered the clinic she experienced various food allergies, one being a reaction to scrambled eggs. After a year the clinic attempted skin testing that displayed unclear results of the severity of the egg allergy. The clinic then administered an oral food challenge which found that she could consume baked egg muffins.

The study authors noted that because the child could eat baked eggs, her quality of life has improved, regardless of past anaphylaxis.

The findings suggest that overtime, children can outgrow food allergies, like milk and eggs, although children with private insurance are more likely.

Reference

Study shows children with private insurance more likely to outgrow food allergies. EurekAlert!. News release. November 9, 2023. Accessed December 18, 2023. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1005930.