What To Do About the Growing Problem of Pediatric Allergy

Abstract

Allergy is the most important chronic disease of childhood. Allergic illness is responsible for more days of incapacitating illness than any other chronic pediatric condition; it is the cause of immeasurable and irreplaceable loss of school-time, play-time, and growth-time; it destroys or inhibits healthy family life; and although few think of it as fatal, allergic illness kills more children each year than poliomyelitis, rheumatic fever or pneumonia.

The problem of allergic disease in childhood is, unfortunately, growing more significant each year. The question of what we are able to do about it does not have a simple answer, but answer it we must. The time for action is upon us.