MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'food allergy'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:28:15 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3633446&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffood-allergy-or-not-new-test-in-the-works%2F2010.06.06 Current methods of testing people for food allergies aren’t particularly precise, leaving many people to falsely think that they have a condition that they really don’t. MIT chemical engineer Christopher Love is working on a new test based on cytokines that may prove to be substantially faster and more reliable. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3633446 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:00:02 +0100 3633446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2168087&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2FekXkAhyMygc%2F n Does your breastfed child have any food allergies of which you are aware? Yes No View Results Please leave a comment to explain your answer. Whether or not your child has known food allergies, do you restrict your diet in any way? How easy or difficult is it to eliminate particular foods from your diet? Is there a history of food allergies in your family? If your nursling has food allergies, to which foods? Did your nursling or other children outgrow any food allergies? Tags: allergies, breastfed baby, food allergies, food allergy, nurslingShare This (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2168087 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:40:57 +0100 2168087 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2153129&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FBreastfeeding123%2F%7E3%2FekXkAhyMygc%2F n Does your breastfed child have any food allergies of which you are aware? Yes No View Results Please leave a comment to explain your answer. Whether or not your child has known food allergies, do you restrict your diet in any way? How easy or difficult is it to eliminate particular foods from your diet? Is there a history of food allergies in your family? If your nursling has food allergies, to which foods? Did your nursling or other children outgrow any food allergies? Tags: allergies, breastfed baby, food allergies, food allergy, nurslingShare This (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2153129 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:40:57 +0100 2153129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2074059&cid=t_102815_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F12%2Ffood-allergy-deaths-may-be-overstated.html This is fascinating.  It seems for years we’ve been overstating the incidence of death from food allergy at 150-200 per year.  But Meredith Broussard at The Huffington Post showcases evidence that the number may reach no higher than 11 deaths per year.  This is according to the most recently available statistics from the Centers for Disease Control.  Apparently the 150-200 deaths per year stat is derived from a 1999 study of an isolated county in Minnesota.  The figure has been taken as gospel and has been cited as recently as this month in the New York Times and the British Medical Journal. While I’m always one to advocate for children who do suffer with serious anaphylactic reactions, I’ve had some reservation about the degree of allergic hysteria tha... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2074059 Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:00:00 +0100 2074059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2035601&cid=t_102815_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F12%2Fwhen-can-a-child-eat-sushi.html It seems more and more children are appearing in sushi establishments.  But is sushi safe for children?  And when can you feel good about offering your little bundle of joy a raw wedge of tuna?  Great question because the Internet is teeming with vague, unsubstantiated information on sushi safety.  And perhaps for good reason: there’s no committee-established consensus on the issue.  When making decisions about fish and your child, just look at it like any other food but with a couple of very important caveats.  Consider three fish factors:  Allergy, safety of preparation, and environmental contamination.  Lets take one at a time Allergy – Concerns over fish allergy should vary depending upon your family’s allergy history.&... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2035601 Sat, 13 Dec 2008 13:37:36 +0100 2035601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1955239&cid=t_102815_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F11%2Fover-the-past-few-weeks-ive-had-several-questions-from--parents-on-an-evolving-phenomenon-referred-to-as-sleep-feeding.html Over the past few weeks I’ve had several questions from parents on a problem referred to as sleep feeding.  What is it? Why do babies do it?  What can I do about it?  And (perhaps the most interesting issue) where did this problem come from?  Here’s my take.  And I’ll modify this over time as I learn more.  What is sleep feeding?  Quite simply, sleep feeding is a popular term used to describe babies who feed nearly exclusively when asleep.  Better put, these are babies who have such a difficult time feeding when awake that their sleep state appears to relax them to the point that they are more organized and able to feed. Parents are consequently forced to put their baby to sleep in order to help them maintain their intake.&#0160... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1955239 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:17:26 +0100 1955239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811676&cid=t_102815_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2008%2F09%2F17%2Fmore-about-food-allergies%2F According to The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, eight foods account for 90% of all food-allergic reactions. The eight foods most likely to cause a food allergic reaction: Milk Egg Peanut Tree nuts (walnut, cashew, etc.) Fish Shellfish Soy Wheat In adults, the foods that most often trigger allergic reactions include * Fish and shellfish, such as shrimp, lobster and crab * Peanuts * Tree nuts, such as walnuts * Eggs Problem foods for children are eggs, milk (especially in infants and young children) and peanuts. Food Allergy Food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggered by your body’s immune system. Allergic reactions to food can sometimes cause serious illness and death. Tree nuts and peanuts are the leading causes of deadly allergic reactions called anaphylaxis. ... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811676 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:04:41 +0100 1811676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1811677&cid=t_102815_167_f&fid=37833&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition.edublogs.org%2F2008%2F09%2F16%2Fmay-contain-traces-of-nuts%2F he Food and Drug Administration is finally looking at ways to force food makers to use a standard label system for allergens. They have agreed to host a public hearing in order to decide what the best course of action would be. At issue is the statement “May Contain Traces of Nuts.” Many believe this statement is too ambiguous to prevent deadly reactions. Instead labels should list what they certainly contain. Clearer labels would be helpful for the 12 million Americans living with food allergies. Under the current system food companies are required by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) to place labels on packaged foods containing most common food allergens, such as milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybea... Nutrition and Wellness Biology 50 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1811677 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:41:48 +0100 1811677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1664255&cid=t_102815_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F07%2Fmilk-protein-al.html When I coined milk protein allergy in babies as “the other colic” (title of chapter 5 in Colic Solved) I never thought it would grace the pages of The Wall Street Journal. Last week’s reflux piece makes an encore in today’s health mailbox. (Source: Parenting Solved) Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1664255 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:47:37 +0100 1664255 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1320537&cid=t_102815_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F03%2Fnutramigen-aa-.html Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the formula aisle, Mead Johnson introduces Nutramigen AA. This is an amino acid-based infant formula for babies with severe milk protein allergy. Amino acid-based formulas differ from standard formulas in that their protein is treated and completely broken down into its most basic element, the amino acid (thus the “AA” in the name). Nutramigen AA will take its place next to two amino acid-based infant formulas currently available on the market, Neocate and Elecare. These formulas are sometimes called elemental or ultrahydrolyzed formulas. So does Nutramigen AA bring anything new to the table? It wouldn’t appear that way. From a protein allergy perspective, all three amino acid-based formulas on the market are identical – after all, ... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1320537 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:07:45 +0100 1320537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1134626&cid=t_102815_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F01%2Faap-report-addr.html The American Academy of Pediatrics today issued a clinical report to guide early feeding for children at risk for allergy. Breast-feeding again comes out on top but contrary to advice offered in 2000, food avoidance during pregnancy is no longer a concern. The clinical report if nothing else serves as an excellent review of what’s known about early feeding and the risk for allergy. Here are the take home points: 1. The restriction of peanuts or other foods during pregnancy or breast-feeding doesn’t lower a child’s risk of allergies. 2. For infants with a family history of allergy, exclusive breast-feeding for at least 4 months can lessen the risk of cow milk allergy early in life. 3. Among formula fed infants at risk for developing allergies there is evidence that allergy be delay... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1134626 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:09:04 +0100 1134626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1103465&cid=t_102815_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2007%2F12%2Fcan-a-c-section.html This is amazing: It seems how babies are born can impact their immune system. When compared with their nursery mates born by vaginal delivery, babies born by C-section appear to be at increased risk for food allergy. But how can this be? How could the type of delivery affect risk for something like allergy to eggs? As it turns out, babies entering the world via mommy’s bottom are exposed to a variety of organisms that immediately begin to colonize and grow in the intestinal tract. Those born by C-section on the other hand are denied this apparently critical early bug exposure. Intestinal bacteria are critical in helping prepare the newborn immune system for what lies ahead. The immunology is dicey but suffice it to say it’s amazing and definitely not intuitive. Could rising allergy r... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1103465 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:44:57 +0100 1103465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=917953&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fnhs-choices-spreads-confusion-about.html Journalists and and a certain class of nutritionists frequently conflate allergy and intolerance. UK newspapers regularly carry stories about 'food allergies' where the topic is actually food intolerance and it is not unusual for IgG blood testing to be promoted as a scientifically and clinically validated test for the diagnosis of food allergies or intolerance. These misunderstandings are so common that I notice when a journalist doesn't make these mistakes.Nonetheless, I was particularly irritated when a correspondent drew my attention to an NHS site with a section dedicated to allergies: Which allergy test? The page carries some useful information about various tests, both those which are available from the NHS and those that are direct-to-consumer. For some of the tests (e.g., the hydr... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=917953 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:37:00 +0100 917953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=728432&cid=t_102815_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2007%2F07%2Fof-peanut-aller.html Check out this piece written by a mother in Des Moines. In her quest to advocate for her peanut allergic child she’s supporting the removal of all nut products from schools. Not a bad undertaking I’ll admit but when you read on it’s clear that she’s taken allergic advocacy to a new level. Every peanut butter sandwich is, after all, “like a gun pointed at every child with this disability.” I’ll have to admit that the world has gone a little peanut crazy. Just today I evaluated a three-year-old in my office and he happened to be grazing on a bag of trail mix. When a peanut accidentally dropped to the floor the mother pounced suggesting that it could kill if it fell into the wrong little hands. While the incidence of nut allergy appears to have doubled between 1997 and 2002, ... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=728432 Thu, 12 Jul 2007 03:11:09 +0100 728432 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=675474&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Fwe-do-not-have-adequate-provision-of.html There are so few clinical allergists in the UK and such a surge in need for them that it is hardly surprising that Jo Revill has a dramatic headline for her story: NHS Swamped by an Epidemic of Allergies. There are the equivalent of 26 fulltime posts in clinical allergy in the UK. I don't fully agree with her overview of the situation but you can understand the scale of the mismatched resources when Revill claims that:One in three people in Britain can expect to suffer from some form of allergy during their lifetime - including 2 million people in the UK thought to have some allergy to food - but there has been barely any increase in NHS services to cope with this. Experts will warn this week that demand for care is outstripping the NHS's ability to cope, and many patients go to private cl... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=675474 Sun, 10 Jun 2007 08:29:00 +0100 675474 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=566343&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fwhen-is-bullying-of-children-with.html Slideshow of peanuts and allergy medication.When I was little my brother used to rub soap over my pillow so that I would wake up the next morning with a severely swollen face, deep-red colouring and blisters. He would occasionally do the same to my clothing and bedding. I would probably have retaliated if it had been any easier to find blackcurrants and disguise them in other foods. You expect this sort of behaviour from young children. I have been very disappointed to learn that similar behaviours persist in some adults. It seems that direct bullying is not sufficient of a burden for some school-children with allergies, they now have to cope with indirect bullying from the parents of children who don't have allergies. It is particularly nauseating that some of these parents seek to cloak ... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=566343 Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:52:00 +0100 566343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=545217&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fwhy-results-from-allergy-or-intolerance.html There are significant problems involved with direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing for allergies and intolerances. Dr. Scadding characterised some of these self-tests as a waste of money and in response to a question about whether she considered that these tests were sufficiently regulated, she answered, "They should be banned". She went on to outline some of the harm that is experienced by children when they are misdiagnosed or if they pursue unnecessary allergen avoidance.Dr. Scadding discussed a recent example that illustrates some of the potential problems for consumers who have access to direct-to-consumer tests.Dr. Scadding: For example, I saw a child this morning before coming here and she had...We did skin tests that are well recognised and she had skin tests to house dust mite and also... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=545217 Sun, 15 Apr 2007 15:34:00 +0100 545217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=539101&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fself-testing-for-allergy-and.html Last month, I wrote up part of an House of Lords evidence session for allergy and allergic disease in which IgG food intolerance tests were described as a waste of money. The first part of that session was less entertaining but does give an insight into the regulatory mess that surrounds self-testing kits in the UK. Patrick Holford (amongst others) describes the availability of these self-tests as empowering and suggests that: some health professionals just haven’t kept up to date. Perhaps it’s because a ‘home test’ takes the power away from the professional and puts it in your hands.Not withstanding Holford's comments there are serious questions about the harm to children that arises from misdiagnosis or the inappropriate use of allergy and intolerance tests.The transcript for the... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=539101 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:11:00 +0100 539101 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=481903&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fwhy-both-misdiagnosis-or-inappropriate.html I have been writing a lot about allergy and intolerance tests recently; a number of factors have contributed to this. The House of Lords is currently scrutinising allergy and intolerance in the UK. When I look through the medical histories of the children with whom I work, in 60-80% of them, the parents have usually indicated that there are several allergies and intolerances. I would estimate that there is clinical confirmation of these allergies etc. in fewer than 2% of the children.It is breathtakingly difficult to obtain a referral to a clinical allergist in the UK. In the whole of the UK, we have the equivalent of 26.5 consultant posts: approximately 5 of those are specialists in paediatric allergy. It is frequently argued that the lack of NHS allergy diagnosis and management pushes pe... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=481903 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 11:19:00 +0100 481903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478799&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Ffood-allergy-and-intolerance-tests.html And please let Shinga hear some decent testimony before she explodes.Dr. Glenis Scadding is a consultant allergist with an fine reputation. She has clearly and elegantly stated that IgG tests for the diagnosis of food intolerance are "a waste of money". She has criticised the availability of direct-to-consumer IgE tests because they lead to "mis-diagnosis and mis-allergen avoidance".However, at the same hearing where Dr. Scadding spoke, and earlier in the session, Dr. Hart, a representative of YorkTest, gave evidence at a meeting of the House of Lords, Science and Technology SubCommittee hearings that are investigating allergy and allergic disease in the UK.In summary, Dr. Hart acknowledged that IgG levels are not necessarily related to either food intolerance or chronic conditions. She al... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478799 Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:47:00 +0100 478799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478800&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Figg-tests-are-waste-of-money-house-of.html I think that IgG tests may accurately measure IgG levels but I do not believe that there is scientific support to confirm the relevance of IgG levels in the diagnosis of food intolerance. I have stated this in several posts over the last few weeks (see list at foot of post).Today, the House of Lords SubCommittee that is looking into allergy and allergic diseases in the UK heard Dr. Glenis Scadding, Consultant Allergist of the Royal Nose, Throat and Ear Hospital, state this in a far more succinct and elegant fashion. My draft transcript of the full exchange from today's meeting (audio recording: available for 28 days and thereafter in transcript form) follows but the highlights from the redoubtable Dr. Glenis Scadding are:What I do dispute is that it is worth making any attempt to identify ... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478800 Thu, 15 Mar 2007 14:55:00 +0100 478800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478807&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fradio-4s-check-up-on-food-intolerance.html More and more families in the UK are learning what it is like to live with food allergies and intolerance. Radio 4's Check Up bills itself as "your chance to talk to doctors about the health issues that most concern you and your family". Check Up has just explored food allergies and intolerance with Dr. Pamela Ewan, Consultant Allergist as Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. The topics included anaphylaxis, allergies, food intolerance and oral allergy syndrome.The programme broadcast on 8 March 2007 was about food intolerance and allergies: the programme runs for less than 30 minutes and will be available to listen to for some time and then available as a transcript.Dr. Ewan strongly makes the case for better food labelling because, in her experience, just advising people to e.g., "avoid n... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478807 Sat, 10 Mar 2007 12:34:00 +0100 478807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478808&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fallergy-and-intolerance-under-scrutiny.html The House of Lords has a Science and Technology Committee that is one of the main investigative committees in the UK. The Committee is a major forum of independent expertise and its broad remit is “to consider science and technology”. The S & T Committee investigates a range of topics including those with public policy implications and assessing health and research priorities. Committee recommendations are largely directed at Government, though they may also have implications for industry, the professions and consumers and the general public.Presently, Sub Committee 1 is investigating allergy and allergic diseases and their associated range of policy issues. However, because allergy service provision was recently examined by the House of Commons Health Committee and the Department of H... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478808 Fri, 09 Mar 2007 14:07:00 +0100 478808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478812&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Ffood-intolerance-testing-and-migraine.html I have seen some extravagant claims about the value of food intolerance testing in reducing migraines, e.g., An appetite for migraine?. Barbara Lantin sums up the findings of a (then) recently released study by Rees, Watson, Lipscombe, Speight, Cousins, Hardman and Dowson:In the first study of its kind, 61 people with moderate to severe migraines were given a food intolerance test. Only one patient had no intolerances at all and the average participant had 5.3. Of those who eliminated the named foods from their diets, 80 per cent reported some improvement in their migraines and more than a third reported significant relief. More than 60 per cent of patients who reintroduced the suspect foods into their diets reported the return of their migraine symptoms.That is one interpretation of the p... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478812 Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:52:00 +0100 478812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478815&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fviews-on-allergy-uks-stolen-lives.html Allergy UK launched their Stolen Lives report during Food Allergy and Intolerance Week in the UK. I have concerns about the value of that report and the uncritical way that its claims were reproduced in the UK media.So, it has been comforting to learn that there have been some rather more robust appraisals. Steve Carper says that:[t]he kerfluffle started by Allergy UK's moronic poll alleging to prove that one-third of the total British population has food intolerances and allergies continues to roil nicely.He highlights Dr. Miriam Stoppard's article in The Mirror:WE'RE asked to believe that nearly half of us are intolerant of one food or another. I've never heard such rubbish. And this particular rubbish is masquerading as "science" in a survey published a couple of days ago by Allergy UK,... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478815 Mon, 05 Mar 2007 13:08:00 +0100 478815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478818&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Ftruthiness-and-referenciness-make-case.html And please let Shinga read some decent research papers before she explodes*.Prof. Ernst has frequently and elegantly rebutted the claim that CAM treatments and therapies are not amenable to standard forms of scientific investigation. However, hand in hand with the claims that CAM is not suited to scrutiny, it seems that there is a certain truthiness and referenciness that predominates in the claims of scientific support for some of these treatments.Dr Ben Goldacre, used this word to suggest a supposed scholarly reference that wasn't a real one: "The scholarliness of her work is a thing to behold: she produces lengthy documents that have an air of 'referenciness' ... but when you follow the numbers, and check the references, it's shocking how often they aren't what she claimed them to be." ... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478818 Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:22:00 +0100 478818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478820&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fmore-allergy-and-intolerance-testing_01.html Allergy Magazine has recently published a feature on DIY Diagnosis. There is a reasonable introductory summary about the difficulties of gaining access to allergy diagnosis and management on the NHS. There is the usual sloppiness about referring to allergies and intolerance as if they are synonymous. The author uncritically reproduces a number of claims that are frequently repeated but I have yet to see substantiated:[h]aving an allergy is now one of the most common health complaints in the UK, affecting an estimated 23 million people and four out of ten school children. Up to 40 per cent of the population are sensitive to the three most common allergens: dust mites, pollen and pets. Millions more are intolerant to certain foods, most commonly wheat and dairy.There is the usual pop quiz wh... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478820 Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:13:00 +0100 478820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478821&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F03%2Fmore-allergy-and-intolerance-testing.html Recently, I commented on Hardman and Hart's recently published audit of YorkTest's IgG-guided food elimination diets and chronic medical conditions. Although the survey was sponsored by Allergy UK it is a poor study that does not provide enough detail to be able to evaluate either its conclusions or its publicity. I had hoped that the study was so self-evidently incapable of supporting swashbuckling or grandiose claims that people who profess an interest in decent science or a reputable evidence base would not over-state its significance.YorkTest has published a summary of some of the paper's findings that make substantial claims about its significance and criticises the NHS: 10 Years of NHS treatment and still we're ill says study. I must reiterate at this point that the survey does not i... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478821 Thu, 01 Mar 2007 13:42:00 +0100 478821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478813&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fquote-mining-and-misrepresentation-poor.html This study is very poor; the claims being made for it are over-blown and disproportionate. Readers can not possibly assess these claims of NHS mis-treatment or mis-guided treatment if we have no way of discovering which treatment modalities were attempted.YorkTest also has the chutzpah to promote an obscure petition to provide free food intolerance tests on the NHS. Their pious hope is that the petition:re-enforces the view that the NHS should put peoples health at the forefront of its health service strategy. If the petition takes off, then it could make the health minister sit up and take action in saving the health service thousands of pounds whilst freeing up doctors valuable time. At best this petition might make the stakeholders of the health service to look at what is best for the p... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478813 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:15:00 +0100 478813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478814&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fwhat-is-significance-of-igg-antibodies.html I recently highlighted my misgivings about the claims of sound science or clinical validation for IgG testing for food intolerance. Dr. de Asis gives a very helpful and clear overview of food allergy, intolerance and testing. Similarly, Dr. Minocha offers an fine overview of food allergy and tolerance.I thought that it might be helpful to quote the position of some professional organisations on the topic of IgG significance and testing.The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology commented on the significance of IgG anti-allergen antibodies in September 2006. They observed that a number of commercial labs claim to be able to measure IgG antibodies against common substances: they questioned the clinical significance of the findings. Although this piece probably refers to labs in t... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478814 Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:41:00 +0100 478814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478823&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fwhy-igg-testing-for-food-intolerance-is.html What I know about the scientific validity of IgG testing to diagnose food intolerance could be written on a postcard leaving plenty of room for the address and stamp. I'm just mentioning this because it may be time for authors' competing interest declarations to be supplemented with a statement of scope of knowledge/ignorance/belief. I've been prompted to consider the need for this statement by Patrick Holford's theatrical outrage about BBC Watchdog's Dirty Allergy Trick* (NB, the original article has been removed, I shall do my best to keep up with other links to it). A healthy volunteer participated in three food allergy/intolerance tests – two VEGA tests (conducted at different times and with different operators), a hair test, and two YorkTest IgG Food Intolerance tests (he submitted ... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478823 Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:18:00 +0100 478823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478816&cid=t_102815_87_f&fid=34882&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbreathspakids.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F01%2Ffood-allergy-and-intolerance-week-in.html It's Food Allergy and Intolerance Week in the UK. Allergy UK has been very successful in promoting the news story about this because it seems as if the british public enjoys few scientific stories more than something that involves more dire warnings about the hidden disease and death that lurks in everyday foodstuffs.2% of the population suffer from life threatening allergy but when coupled with the larger number of people (estimated to be in the region of 45%) who suffer from food intolerance, which whilst not life threatening impacts severely on all aspects of their life, means that almost half of the population are adversely affected by the food they are eating.Allergy is wretched and it can kill. Intolerance can be miserable but I'd like a little more evidence behind the "impacts sever... Breath Spa for Kids blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478816 Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:53:00 +0100 478816