20 m. kovo 2018 d.

According to an Ifop survey, published on the occasion of French Allergy Day, parents tend to underestimate the risk of allergy in their children. Explanations.

Kokie yra pavojai vaikams?

šiandien 1 in 4 French people are affected by one or more allergies. However, it seems that parents are not really aware of the risk that their children run. This is what an online survey carried out by Ifop reveals. According to this work, respondents believe that the risk for a child who does not have an allergic parent to have an allergy itself is 3%, while scientists estimate it at 10%.

And when children have one or two allergic parents, respondents place the risk for the child at 21% for an allergic parent and 67% for two allergic parents, while it is actually 30 to 50% in the first case, up to 80% for the second. According to the Asthma & Allergies association, on average, the French allow 7 years to pass between the first allergic symptoms and the consultation of a specialist.

Take early symptoms seriously

This is worrying because during these 7 years, the disease which is not taken care of can worsen and degenerate into asthma for example, in the event of allergic rhinitis. Other lessons from this survey: 64% of French people are unaware that allergy can occur at any age in life and 87% are unaware that the disease can be diagnosed in the first months of the child.

“It is intolerable in 2018 to leave young children in a situation of therapeutic abandonment when screening, prevention and treatment solutions exist,” said Christine Rolland, director of Asthma & Allergies. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2050, 50% of the world’s population will be affected by at least one allergic disease. 

Marine Rondot

Read also: Allergies and intolerances: the differences