Children and allergies

Posted: Monday, September 29, 2008 2:30 PM by Daily Nightly Editor

By Robert Bazell, NBC News Chief science correspondent

Tonight we begin a series on allergies which have been on a sharp increase in the United States and many other parts of the world in recent decades, especially among children. In tomorrow's report we will look at the possible reasons for the rise. Wednesday's segment will focus on food allergies. Today we speak with Dr. Michael Rich of Children's Hospital in Boston and Harvard who began his career as a film maker and brought those skills to his medical care.

Dr. Rich decided to give children with asthma video cameras so they could better tell the stories of their lives. Asthma is a massive public health problem. Since it is an allergic reaction in the airways in the lungs, children (and adults) undergoing asthma suffer enormously. Though deaths from asthma in children and adolescents are relatively rare (about 200 each year), the disease accounts for about 700,000 emergency room visits a year in kids, and 11 million missed days of school every year.

When children with asthma are managed properly, they can lead perfectly normal lives. But what Dr. Rich's video shows is how difficult that can be. When children show from their perspective what the environment they live in is like, it can be truly shocking.

Here are some links to some of the programs we mention. The Kunsberg School at National Jewish Hospital in Denver for children with asthma: http://www.nationaljewish.org/about/kunsberg/index.aspx

Dr. Michael Rich's research program that puts video cameras in the hands of children with many kinds of chronic diseases: www.cmch.tv/via

And the physician specialty group the American Academy of Asthma Allergy & Immunology: http://www.aaaai.org/patients.stm

EMAIL THIS

Comments

Brian Williams, Your comments on a news break, at about three p.m.,blaming rep. Pelosi for the bail out not being passed was shameful to say the least. Check your facts and I think you will see that the " Boner " had quite a bit to do with it.A majority of dems voted for it, and a majority of reps voted against it. SHAME ON YOU.

J. VEGA gary,in. (Sent Monday, September 29, 2008 4:35 PM)

Mr. Bazell,
Thanks for this series on asthma, allergies and immunology. As the grandparent of a child with asthma and a severe peanut allergy, it is challenging to see the lifestyle modifications that are necessary when a child develops such allergies and asthma. I hope the scientific community can find answers to this dilemma soon.

Jan B.. Erie,PA (Sent Tuesday, September 30, 2008 5:15 AM)

If this bailout is so important, and we have to get it done now. Why have they taken off for the holiday. What come first the importants of our economy or there time off. It really makes you stop and think how important is all this if they can take time off.

Janet Phoenix Arizona (Sent Tuesday, September 30, 2008 12:43 PM)

Mr.Bazell,
My son has seasonal allergies and meds for them.His doctor is worried that he will asthma in the future.
I would like to see more about it.
Thanks.

Amber Whittenberg,Penns Grove New Jersey (Sent Tuesday, September 30, 2008 1:57 PM)

Thank you soooooooo much for this series. As a 16 year old who has had asthma and allergies for nine years, it was interesting to see people going through the exact same things that I was going through when I had an attack. I don't always tell my doctor everything that could possibly be triggering my asthma at home or in general (mostly because it slips my mind), but to record the environments of those with asthma is a brilliant idea!
Thanks again!

Hannah D, Bethesda, MD (Sent Tuesday, September 30, 2008 6:34 PM)

My understanding is that the first allergy disease to be discovered was known as "Hayfever." It was called that because it was first observed among rural farm workers. Even many decades later most doctors refused to believe that allergy was even a real disease because it was so rare. Allergies have only been around for a few decades, whereas cities have been around for millennia. Thus the idea that city life causes allergies is a logical fallacy. It is likely that many factors are involved. In my case I had a pet cat that slept in my bed for the first 7 years of my life with no problems. Then I got asthma and was allergic to cats. 2 scratch tests later showed I was allergic to almost every form of plant life. I had to go to the hospital every year for 10 years because it was so bad. Then I replaced all my mercury based dental fillings with non-toxic ones. After that a scratch test showed I had no allergies, and for the last 18 years since then I have not had a single asthma attack. Mercury of course, can't be the only cause of allergies, but if you ignore it as a major contributing factor you will get nowhere. Poor people who live in cities likely eat a disproportionately large amount of tuna, which is now very high in mercury. That could explain their high rates of asthma.

A while ago scientists theorized poor people in cities had high rates of asthma because they live amid so much filth. Now they say it's because they live in sterile conditions! You can't have it both ways!

Wayne Emerson (Sent Tuesday, September 30, 2008 10:57 PM)

Mr Holt/Mr Williams - I have seen a lot of comments with regard to a large payment to the American People, yet, unless I've missed it, I haven't seen anything like this mentioned on the news. Why not? Let's get this rolling. If they wanted, the checks could be cut within the month. I realize we would all be living on borrowed money, HOWEVER, what better loan could be made. It's a forced pay-back - right out of our taxes. It's like an automatic deduction. Don't people such as yourselves have a contact with someone at the Whitehouse, or Congress to get this message to them. THEY EVIDENTLY DON'T LISTEN TO US, but maybe they will listen with influences such as yourselves. LET'S GET THE WORD OUT! I apologize if this has been done and I did not catch it. THIS NEEDS TO BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED, AND HATS OFF TO THE PERSON THAT THOUGHT OF IT.

Sue Mohr, Marion, Ohio (Sent Wednesday, October 01, 2008 8:05 AM)

One very big potential cause of asthma is the platnium
leaking from car converters. Yet noone is doing
any reporting or research on this point.
I've read that there is enought platnium from
converters laying along hiways to start thinking
about mineing roadsides.
If leaked platnium is inhaled it could cause asthma
and maybe even death.

Dale Sterner (Sent Wednesday, October 01, 2008 9:41 AM)

Would someone please explain to me why we are the only nation in the world who is "allergic" to food?? We're so quick to subscribe to the victim mentality. Unbelievable and very depressing.

R.H. (Sent Wednesday, October 01, 2008 7:07 PM)

Mr. Bazell thank you for you concern about food allergies. My name is Westly Woodruff of Boaz, Al. Madeline ,my 6yr old daughter, has severe allergies to milk and eggs. We struggle with these allergies at any resteraunt, school, or organized function. I'm so disappointed at the lack of awareness by our media and health care system. This is a very important issue of public health,and safety. Thank you so very much for using very valuable air time to air the segment on food allergies. I hope other networks will follow your lead. God bless NBC and please help to promote FAAN.
Sincerely,
The Woodruff Family

Westly, Sallie, & Madeline Boaz, Alabama (Sent Wednesday, October 01, 2008 8:15 PM)

this is a very important issue. thank you for taking time to highlight it in your broadcast. We hope to find a cure soon to help the millions of children dealing with food allergies every day.

Andrea, NY NY (Sent Wednesday, October 01, 2008 8:32 PM)

Re: ‘new’ treatment investigation for children with food allergies:
In the 1960’s, Dr. William G. Crook, graduate of the University of Virginia Medical School, had a clinic in Jackson, Tennessee, specifically dedicated to children with allergies. The sub-lingual test was used to determine which foods were the cause of a child’s allergic responses.

Dr. Crook (which he definitely was not) advised parents to avoid the offending foods. He also told them if a child was going to be exposed unavoidably to a problem food that a preventive measure was available. If a child were going to a birthday, for example, and ice cream were an offender, to place a drop or two of ice cream under the child’s tongue before the party. The child would be desensitized long enough to enjoy the party safely.

We had the privilege of taking our nine year old to the clinic about 1967. During a three-day testing period he was challenged with a different liquid preparation every fifteen minutes while the technician measured vital signs. Most of the tests produced negative results. He was an inquisitive boy as one that age would be until one of the liquids stopped his bouncing around and left him clutching his chest in pain. The tests were discontinued for the day and we learned that the item was white potato.

I am glad to learn from the broadcast that refinements of Dr. Crook’s work are now being investigated.

Kal Howard (Sent Wednesday, October 01, 2008 9:13 PM)

I know a mother who found an alternative for her daughter who was suffering from asthma. Her daughter was repeatedly hospitalized until her research lead her to something known as "Ambrotose". Her daughter has had very few problems since.

I was also diagnosed with asthma a few years ago, but after taking this same product, I no longer need any asthma medication. My sister began taking the product when she was pregnant with her second son for high blood pressure (her bp got so high when she was pregnant with her first son, she was hospitalized). Her bp was slightly high once while on this product...when she ran out of the product for about a week. She recommended the product to my Dad and he started taking the product after his doctor told him he had polyps. That was a few years ago, and he has never gotten cancer (he's 73). My sister's friend from Coeur D'Alene, Idaho has Huntington's Disease -- there is no cure for it, and the ones who suffer from it will mostly wind up in a nursing home, from what I'm told...she is not, though. She still lives in her own home and has been taking this same product for years now.

The bad thing about this product is that it sounds far too good to be true. But, the science behind this product is based on 4 Nobel Prizes and it's WHOLE FOOD, so I know it's safe.

Stephanie, Post Falls, ID (Sent Friday, October 03, 2008 2:26 AM)

Just a note to R.H. please take the time to research food allergies you would find many allergy networks in many nations are dealing with this issue. My son is severely allergic to egg, dairy, and peanuts, the tests don't lie and I am not willing to compromise my son's health. Thank you NBC for the story, this is a growing health problem, and many just don't understand what we, as parents go through on a daily basis. FAAN is a fantastic organization.

Theresa East Lansing, Michigan (Sent Friday, October 03, 2008 12:00 PM)

If you look at asthma mortality graphs on page 4
of the US Surgeon Generals Report on Asthma; you'll
notice that asthma didn't start going upward untill
the year 1975.
1975 was the 1st year that cars started to use
converters. I smell a link!

Dale Sterner , Pennsylvania. (Sent Sunday, October 05, 2008 7:48 PM)

Thank you for shedding light on allergies. My daughter is only two years old and is extremely allergic to many foods-milk being one of them. Thankfully in the past few years, more light is being shed on the subject but you definitely do not understand the frustrations with dealing with this until it has touched your life. It changes your whole life-what you eat, where you eat, how much you look into the ACTUAL ingredients in food...especially wanting to make sure any "artificial flavors" are not ones which would send your child to the emergency room due to her throat swelling shut. This is not something to fool around with and should be dealt with VERY seriously. I think everyone should be more educated in this area as just dropping milk on my daughter would send her to the hospital.

Melanie, Jay, FL (Sent Wednesday, October 08, 2008 10:19 AM)

SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.):

Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private) Remember me?

NBC NEWS IN THE BLOGOSPHERE

	World Blog: Correspondents and producers on assignment share their insight on news events.
	First Read: Analysis of the day's political news from the NBC News Political Unit.
	Deep Background: The NBC News Investigative Unit blogs about national security, spies, and government fraud.

More Daily Nightly

Recent Posts:

Archives:

Earlier Daily Nightly entries

Categories:

CONNECT WITH US

About the broadcast | Biographies

RSS is an easy way to get the news you want as it is updated even if you are not on MSNBC.com. More information about MSNBC.com's RSS feeds.

Podcasting brings you audio and video from each weekday broadcast on your iPod or other portable MP3 player anytime, anywhere. More information about MSNBC.com's podcasts.

Sign-up for our daily e-mail newsletter. It offers a preview of the stories and special reports featured on each weekday broadcast.

Syndicate This Site

Add The Daily Nightly to your news reader:

ABOUT THIS BLOG