Are food intolerances and allergies increasing in immigrant children coming from developing countries ?

There are not available data concerning the occurrence, the clinical features and the environmental risk factors for food intolerances and allergies in immigrant children. The aim of the study was to evaluate rates, distribution, clinical features and environmental risk factors for food intolerances and allergies in immigrant children. Hospital records of 4,130 patients with celiac disease (CD), cow milk protein intolerance (CMPI) and food allergies (FA) diagnosed in 24 Italian Centres from 1999 to 2001 were retrospectively reviewed, comparing immigrant patients with Italian ones. 78/4,130 (1.9%) patients were immigrant: 36/1,917 (1.9%) had CD, 24/1,370 (1.75%) CMPI and 18/843 (2.1%) FA. Th…