Epidemiological Study On Urticaria In Children

The conducted study was focused on identifying children with an atopic background diagnosed with urticaria and also to increase parental responsibility regarding child alimentation, given the impact of allergic reactions (especially those caused by food factors) on the pediatric patient. Material and methods: This retrospective study was conducted in 246 patients diagnosed with urticaria admitted to " Sf. Maria" Clinical Pediatric Hospital, Iasi between January 2012 and December 2013. Results: Regarding the etiology of urticaria, the corroboration of the history, clinical and biological data revealed a predominance of urticaria triggered by food factors (54%, 132 cases). Urticaria caused by drugs was identified in 27 (12%) cases, mostly triggered by antibiotics. The analysis of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) blood levels showed elevated levels in 93.75% of the subjects in the age group 0- 2 years and 44.44% in children over 6 years old had. Specific IgE analysis for food allergens revealed that beta-lactoglobulin, casein and egg white were the most frequently involved allergens for which positive results were obtained. Skin tests (prick tests) showed sensitivity to airborne allergens more frequently than sensitivity to food allergens. Conclusions: Our study showed a predominance of urticaria triggered by food factors, given the fact that the prevalence of food allergies increased in the recent decades. History of food allergy is a risk factor in the development of other allergic conditions.