Wheat allergy

Food allergy is a growing health problem which emerged as the “second wave” of the allergy epidemic, lagging decades behind the ‘first wave’ of asthma, allergic rhinitis and inhalant sensitization.1 Data on challenge-diagnosed FA in some countries (e.g. China and Africa) show rising rates that became similar to those in Western countries.2 A report from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that among children aged 0–17 years, the prevalence of food allergies increased from 3.4% in 1997–1999 to 5.1% in 2009–2011, a 50% rise.3 About 6% of children experience food allergic reactions in the first three years of life, including approximately 2.5% with cow’s milk allergy, 1.5% with egg allergy, and 1% with peanut allergy.4 Wheat is one of the five most common foods that trigger allergic reactions in children.

A study of health-related quality of life in pediatric atopic dermatitis

Background: Children of atopic dermatitis (AD) have difficulties in social adaptation and academic achievements. Health related quality of life (HRQOL) is a multidimensional measure not restricted to physical effects of disease or its treatment. Objective: We sought to assess, through validated questionnaire sets, the impact of AD on the HRQOL of children and their parents or caregivers. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 85 children with physician diagnosed AD recruited from the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Unit, Children's Hospital, Ain Shams University from May 2018 to December 2019. HRQOL of the patients was assessed using the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and that of parents/caregivers was assessed using the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI). Results: Analysing the CDLQI revealed that more than half of the studied sample (55.4%) had an extremely affected quality of life (QOL). The most affected physical aspects were itching and pain. There was statistically significant effect of face eczema on QOL of children. We also found that 65.9% of parents/caregivers had a significantly affected QOL score and the most frequently reported problems were emotional distress and treatment burden. The presence of other allergies in the affected child, other sib affection and adverse effects of treatment were the most significant distressing factors on the QOL of parents/caregivers. Poor QOL of children also impacted their parents’ mental and physical health .Conclusion: AD affects the QOL of both children and their guardians in many aspects. There is necessity to pay more attention to the psychological and social aspects in the children with AD and to respect their parents’ psychosocial impact and financial burden within the integrated management plans of AD

The Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Unit of Ain Shams University in times of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: approach and challenges

The Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (PAI) Unit of Ain Shams University, founded in 1988 by Professor Yehia El-Gamal and currently headed by Professor Shereen Reda, is a tertiary referral center for pediatric allergy, primary immunodeficiency, and rheumatology patients in Egypt. It serves more than 1300 patients with different immunological disorders, with an outpatient and inpatient sections and investigational laboratory. With the widespread of the SARS-CoV-2 and its declaration as a "pandemic", and owing to the heterogeneity of the different disorders managed and followed up in the unit, several measures have been taken in order to provide the necessary services for the patients. This service should maintain a rational balance between the need to mitigate the virus spread and to provide the optimum care for those who get infected, when in the meantime keep their original disease morbidity and mortality to the minimum. These measures were taken by the members of the PAI unit with the help of the head management team of Children’s Hospital, Ain Shams University and were subjected to continuous modification based on the evolving situation, emerging information, problems faced and the availability of human and medical resources