Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
(Image source: Los Angeles Times / Allen J. Schaben)
BY BRIANA ALTERGOTT
According to a new study, children's food allergies are costing American families nearly
$25 billion a year.
The study is the first to add up costs for the estimated 8 percent of U.S. children with
allergies to certain foods, including peanuts, milk, and eggs.
Researchers estimate these allergies can cost families an average of $4,184 a year, with
more than $900 of that coming out of pocket. (Via CNN)
So what's costing so much? Doctor, hospital, and emergency room visits; special foods;
and parents missing work or even quitting their jobs were all found to be factors.
Pediatricians at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago took surveys of 1,643
parents to get the results. (Via WLIO)
Health reports the most common food allergies seen in the surveyed children were peanuts,
milk, and shellfish. The most common food allergy doctors see in American children is
to nuts. (Via Health)
The lead author of the study says expenses could be cut dramatically if more schools
had better allergy control and if more grocery stores carried allergen-free food options.
(Via WFXT)