Severe rice allergy on the increase

Wednesday October 29th, 2008

New research suggests that rice may trigger a serious allergic condition in some children.

Previously thought to be one of the "safest" foods, rice is now linked to Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome, or FPIES.

This condition causes vomiting and diarrhoea, and can lead to shock and a dangerous drop in the body's oxygen levels. It is caused by an allergy to certain types of protein found in food. FPIES can be set off by cow's milk and soy, but may also be triggered by food proteins in meats, vegetables and grains.

Professor Andrew Kemp of the Children's Hospital at Westmead, New South Wales, Australia, and his team investigated the number of children with FPIES after eating rice.

They found this figure has risen from three in the period 1963-1989, to 25 in the period 1990-2007. Of these 25, 19 occurred since the year 2000.

They also discovered that children with FPIES caused by rice were more likely to also have FPIES caused by other foods than children with FPIES caused by cow's milk or soy. These children also tended to have more severe reactions.

In the Archives of Disease in Childhood they say their study "highlights the emerging importance of rice, a food commonly thought to be 'hypoallergenic', as a significant trigger of FPIES."

They add that: "Paediatricians should be aware that rice not only has the potential to cause FPIES, but that such reactions tend be more severe than those caused by cow's milk or soy."

Mehr,S. S., Kakakios,A. M. and Kemp, A. S. Rice: a common and severe cause of food proteininduced enterocolitis syndrome. The Archives of Disease in Childhood, published online October 28, 2008.

Tags: Allergies & Asthma | Australia | Child Health

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