Positive Health Online

Abstract

FOUCARD and MALMHEDEN-YMAN, Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden write that all physicians were asked to report fatal and life-threatening reactions caused by food, following a fatal case of soy anaphylaxis which occurred in Sweden in 1992 . The authors report the results of the first 3 years of the study, including results from another ongoing study regarding deaths from asthma during the same period .

Background

Methodology

Results

From 1993-6, 61 cases of severe reactions to food were reported, 5 of them fatal. Peanut, soy and tree nuts appeared to have caused 45 of the 61 reactions and 4 of them were fatal . Including 2 cases which occurred less than a year prior to the start of their study, the authors are aware of 2 deaths caused by peanuts and 4 deaths caused by soy. All 4 youngsters who died from soy anaphylaxis with asthma were severely allergic to peanuts but had no previously known allergy to soy . In the majority of cases, there was a rather symptom-free period for 30-90 minutes between early mild symptoms and severe and rapidly deteriorating asthma.

Conclusion

Soy has probably been underestimated as a cause of food anaphylaxis. Those at risk appear to be young people with asthma and peanut allergy so severe that they notice symptoms after indirect contact.

References

Foucard T et al. A study on severe food reactions in Sweden is soy protein an underestimated case of food anaphylaxis? Allergy 54(3): 261-5. Mar 1999.

Comment

Parents with young children, take heed of the above research. Scary!