According to a research, led by Ruchi Gupta, MD MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Children Memorial Research Center, it was found that the diagnosis and advice of the physicians differed widely apart from ruling out the misconceptions that challenges the knowledge of the parents.
It was found that parents whose children are allergic to food, despite having a strong knowledge about allergies, worry about the eating habits of their children. And as a result of which the parents suffer from anxiety. The stress and anxiety of the parents have reached such a level that it has began to have a negative impact on their relationships, work and marriage as well.
There is a wide gap between the physicians and the general public as far as the understanding of the allergies are concerned. The general public has their own interpretations of the symptoms that trigger food allergies. What most of the public does is that they either overlook the occurrence of allergy or diagnose it themselves. On the other hand the physicians, has a different approach in diagnosing allergies and the advice they give on breastfeeding and introduction of solids also differed.
This survey has revealed the varying attitudes, knowledge and beliefs that the physician, general public and parents of children with food allergy have. Having highlighted the differences in the knowledge among the three groups, this study will be helpful in doing away with the misconceptions that the general public has inculcated. It will also help in increasing the knowledge about food allergy which will improve the health of those children with food allergy.
Read on to know more about food allergy and the symptoms of food allergy . Adequate knowledge will be helpful in the prevention of food allergy.
