Prevalence in Australia
Children aged 1 yr: <10% have challenge-proven IgE-mediated food allergy(1)
Children aged 4 yr: 3.8% have challenge-proven IgE-mediated food allergy(12)
Adolescents aged 10-14 yr: Approximately 1 in 20 are affected by food allergies(12)
TABLE 1.1 Prevalence of challenge-proven food allergy at different ages(12,13)
| ALLERGEN | 1 YEAR (%) | 4 YEAR (%) | 10-15 YEAR (%) |
| Any food | >10 | NA | 4.5 |
| Egg | 8.9 | 1.2 | 0.5 |
| Peanut | 3.0 | 1.9 | 2.7 |
| Sesame | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Treenut (any) | NA | NA | 2.3 |
Most children with food allergy tolerate cow's milk, egg, soy and wheat at ages varying from 5 to 15 years. The majority of peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish allergies persist into adulthood. An initial high serum IgE against a food is associated with a lower rate of resolution if clinical allergy over time.(13)
TABLE 1.2 Resolution rates for common allergens and age(12,13)
| ALLERGEN | PREVALENCE (AGE) | ALLERGEN | PREVALENCE (AGE) |
| Milk | 50% by 5-10 yr | Treenut | 10% by 4 yr |
| Egg | 50% by 2-9 yr | Wheat | 50% by 7 yr |
| Peanut | 20% by 4 yr | Soy | 45% by 6 yr |
Updated September 30, 2024