Writing in the British Medical Journal this week, Professor Allan Colver, from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, argues that increasing diagnoses and prescriptions of adrenaline auto-injectors only inflame fears that are disproportionate to the risk. 'The chances of an under-16 dying of a food allergy are one in 16 million a year,' he said.
Dr Colver told Nursery World that in his view, adrenaline auto-injectors are over-prescribed. 'In practical terms it creates anxiety,' he said. 'In the case of a severe reaction, you take a child to hospital anyway - so is it worth distributing auto-injectors? Childcarers have enough to deal with, without having to learn how to administer an adrenaline shot.'
Representing an opposing view, Professor Jonathan Hourihane from University College Cork argues that there needs to be more management and guidance about allergies in the community. 'There's a medical reluctance to take these conditions seriously because of the low risk of death,' said Dr Hourihane. 'But some families are afraid to send their children to nursery or school and so their everyday lives are affected from an early age.'
He cites US research conducted in 2004 that found that 6 per cent of pre-school children experience an allergic reaction to food. 'I think peanut allergy is on the increase,' said Dr Hourihane. 'Wheezing is a severe reaction and 50 per cent of children with a peanut allergy wheeze on their first reaction, which is normally between one and three years old.'
He addd, 'There are only six paediatric allergy units in the UK, and GPs, health visitors and school nurses need better training. In my personal experience, if childcarers are shown how and when to use the adrenaline auto-injector kits, then they are less anxious.'