Does anyone have a child with a peanut allergy? I just found out that my 1 year old son has it. Is a class V serious?

I was also very surprised by the findings...not only did I eat peanuts on occasion while breastfeeding, my son has also eaten small amounts of peanuts with no reaction. Without knowing what kind of blood test he had, I’m not sure if a Class V is serious. On the ImmunoCAP test, allergies are ranked from Class 0 (no allergy) up to Class 6...a class 5 is "very severe".

More important than the class, though, is the kIU/L measurement for the allergen (my pediatrician gave me a copy of the lab results report which had this information on it). For peanut allergies, they’ve found the kIU/L measurement can be used as a predictor of the likelihood a child will outgrow an allergy and the likelihood of having a clinical reaction to peanuts. For example, 90% of people with at least 15kIU/L reading for peanuts will have an allergic reaction to peanuts (please see the 5/31/2006 entry on this page for further info and source info).

Also, the lower the kIU/L, the more likely the the allergy is to be outgrown. About 20% of children will outgrow a peanut allergy. What I've learned is that a peanut allergy can be severe (i.e.

, considered to be life-threatening as it can cause anaphylaxis) or it can be more mild, causing only vomiting, diarrhea, hives, and/or a rash. It's even possible to have a blood test show a peanut allergy but never exhibit any clinical symptoms of the allergy! Luckily, nowadays it's pretty easy to avoid peanut products (at least in your own home) once you get used to checking labels.

However, the reality is that most children with food allergies will probably have an allergic reaction at some point so you just have to be cognizant and ready. " No matter how careful you are, it is almost inevitable that it will happen -- your child will eat the dangerous food. I say this now in hopes that when it happens, you will remember my thoughts and see yourselves with the same compassion that I feel for you at this moment -- not with guilt or judgment.

I also tell you this so you will take the second phase of treatment seriously. This above quote is from this page, which is a good basic summary of peanut allergy information. Just realize that it was written in 2002 and as a result is not up on the most current findings (namely, that peanut allergies are not always life-long in all children).

If you haven't already, take a look at The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), especially dealing with the additional allergies, this will probably be a great resource for you. My pediatrician recommended we join, as did both of my friends who have children with food allergies. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) is also a wonderful site for accurate information.

It's mostly written at a high level, aimed at medical professionals, but it does a great job providing source info for all their statements. Good luck, I hope you come back and let us know how your appointment with the allergist goes!