New report sheds light on why young Asian Americans are 40% more likely to develop allergies
A recent Stanford University study of nearly half a million California pediatric records is one of the first to look at subgroups of Asians in the U.S. to try to understand why Asian Americans are so at risk for allergies.
When Sharon Wong’s son was 4 months old, his skin erupted in itchy red patches, and he developed wheezing coughs that lingered for weeks. His first pediatrician dismissed the symptoms as a recurring cold. Then one evening, as a toddler, Wong’s son ate a spoonful of Thai-inspired peanut soup, triggering him to retch and claw at his stomach. Panicked, Wong called her new pediatrician, who recognized the signs of anaphylaxis.
“Our second doctor was very clear about the severity of the situation and what I needed to do: get Benadryl, an allergist and an EpiPen,” Wong remembered of the incident 19 years ago. “That probably saved my son’s life.”
Sharon Wong says the many peanut-based desserts and sesame-coated snacks in Asian cuisine were life-threatening for her son.Courtesy of Sharon WongToday, 6 million American children live with food allergies, and young Asian Americans like Wong’s son, now in college, are 40% more likely to develop one compared to the general population. Scientists have struggled to explain this disparity since it was first documented in a landmark 2011 study.
Now, a recent Stanford University study of nearly half a million California pediatric records is one of the first to look at subgroups of Asians in the U.S. under 18 to try to understand why Asian Americans are so at risk. The study found Filipino, Vietnamese and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are particularly vulnerable. “Existing allergy research often overlooks Asian Americans or treats them as a monolith,” said Dr. Charles Feng, the study’s lead author.
For immigrant communities, where language and cultural divides often separate generations, food represents connection, Feng added. “That’s why solving this mystery, which is ultimately a problem of health inequity, feels so urgent.”
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