Urban kids more likely to develop food allergies Washington,
June 9: Children living in cities tend to have more food
allergies than their rural counterparts, says a new study. "We
have found for the first time that higher population density
corresponds with a greater likelihood of food allergies in
children," said Ruchi Gupta, assistant professor of paediatrics
at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, who led
the study. "This shows that environment has an impact on
developing food allergies. The big question is - what in the
environment is triggering them? A better understanding of
environmental factors will help us with prevention efforts,"
said Gupta, the journal Clinical Paediatrics reports. The study
included 38,465 children, 18 years and under, who comprised a
representative sample of US households. Their food allergies
were mapped by ZIP code, according to a Feinberg statement. Here
are the key findings of the study: -- In urban centres, 9.8
percent of children have food allergies, compa