Food allergy in children-the Singapore story.

ABSTRACT

The study of food allergy in Singaporean children is still in its infancy. Confusion and misunderstanding is common among the public. Even so, we have found certain unique features regarding food allergy among Singaporean children. "Bird's nest" has been shown to be the most common cause of anaphylaxis requiring medical attention. This allergen has not been described before. Peanuts and tree nuts are extremely uncommon causes of anaphylaxis, unlike the West. However, the pattern of sensitization to foods in children as shown by skin prick test is similar to other Western populations. The reasons for the difference between the profile foods responsible for anaphylactic reactions in our population and those of the western population, despite the similarity in sensitization profiles, are still unclear.