Prevalence of food and inhalant allergies in infants and children from the Nanhai area of Foshan city.

Background: The aim of our research was to explore the distribution characteristics of the most common food and inhalant allergens in children from Foshan city in Southwest China to provide evidence for the development of prevention and treatment strategies for allergic diseases in children.

Methods: A total of 635 children who attended the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology, were included in our retrospective study from February 2013 to October 2019. The sensitivity of immunoglobulin E (IgE) for 20 allergens (10 inhalant allergens and 10 food allergens) was determined. Statistical analysis was performed to analyze differences in the percentage of allergens among individuals according to sex, age and season.

Results: Of the 635 patients, 200 tested positive for allergies. Dust mites were the most common inhalant allergens, followed by dog hair. The highest percentage of positive house dust mite sensitization was in the summer. Among the food allergens, individuals most frequently tested positive for wheat and milk allergies. The percentage of individuals with milk and egg allergies decreased with increasing age.

Conclusion: The most common allergens found in children from Foshan were dust mites, dog hair, wheat, tree nuts (hazelnut and pistachio), milk and peanuts. The results obtained could be helpful in determining the etiology of allergic diseases.