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Doctor: Study Will Help Raise Awareness Of Food Allergies

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Food allergies affect one in 13 children, according to a study just released in the journal Pediatrics.

Dr. Scott Nicholas with Eisenstadt Allergy and Asthma believes it will raise awareness of the problem.

"Allergies are trivial to those that don't have it," he said.

The study found that 8 percent of the children they tested had food allergies. That translates into about 6 million children in the United States.

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The study also found that peanuts and milk are the most common food allergies for children.

Carey Lyle-Bestler has a 5-year-old daughter with a peanut allergy and said new experiences can be scary.

"We are going into kindergarten next year and so we need to make sure we address it in every single person who touches her thoughout the day," she said.

Lyle-Bestler worries her daughter will be ostracized in school but she said her daughter seems unfazed.

"The lucky thing is that it seems to be happening more often. We just found that one of her neighbors who also has a peanut allergy will be in her class and they've already talked about sitting together," she said.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylactic Network has a website, FoodAllergy.org, with information to help parents navigate the world of childhood food allergies.

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