Prevalence of strawberry allergy in Bosnian children and management

Abstract

Introduction
A strawberry allergy is an allergy to certain proteins
found in strawberries . The specific symptoms that can
vary considerably amongst children from a severe anaphylactic
reaction to asthma , abdominal symptoms,
eczema or headaches. Some experience an allergic reaction
with itching and swelling in mouth and throat.
Objective
The goals were to estimate the prevalence of strawberry
food allergy and to describe trends in food allergy prevalence
and health care use among Bosnian children.
Methods and materials
The sample included 40 primary care pediatricians from
Sarajevo during last ten years 2000-2010; 95% of the
respondents reported providing care for strawberry
allergic children patients. The specific criteria used to
diagnose food allergy may therefore have a significant
impact on the results of these studies, especially those
used to measure the prevalence of strawberry allergy.
The allergen was indentified using blood serum from
children patients experiencing adverse reactions to
strawberry.
Results
Red strawberries cause allergies, but white ones do not.
The symptoms for strawberry allergy occur after exposure
to strawberry fruit and strawberry products. The
prevalence of strawberry allergy peaks at 3% to 4% at
two year of age and then falls progressively until late
childhood, after which the prevalence remains stable at
0.5% to 1% in children from Bosnia and Herzegovina .
Some cases of life-threatening conditions have been
reported, such as anaphylactic reactions and asphixia
due to the impossibility of breathing.
Discussion
All children with strawberry food allergy should also be
reevaluated by their allergist at regular intervals to
determine whether the allergy has been outgrown.
Conclusion
The best treatment consists of prevention: individuals
should avoid eating any form of strawberries, including
raw berries, jam, cakes, jellies and even some naturallyflavoured
products. In most of the cases strawberry
allergy is not a life threatening one. Being allergic to
strawberries is fairly common specially in children.