Many children with asthma may suffer from concealed peanut allergy, researchers have warned.
The US researchers found that many families had not been told that a child with asthma showed signs of having peanut allergy.
They say that reactions might also not be noticed – as they can be similar to an asthma attack, involving wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath
Researchers studied the medical records of some 1,517 children treated at a specialist paediatric chest clinic.
They found that 163 children had a recorded history of peanut allergy – and another 148 had a positive test for peanut sensitivity following specific testing.
They found that more than half of the 148 did not suspect there was sensitivity to peanuts, they have told the international conference of the American Thoracic Society in Denver, Colorado, USA.
Researcher Dr Robert Cohn, of Mercy Children’s Hospital, Toledo, Ohio, called for more investigations of the link between peanut sensitivity and asthma.
He said: "This study demonstrates children with asthma might benefit from a test for peanut sensitivity, especially when control of wheezing and coughing is difficult to achieve.
"If a physician is having this problem, or if a parent notices it in his or her asthmatic child, they should consider testing, even if they believe their child is not sensitive to peanuts."
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