Skin Care Products May Contain Food Allergens

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Skin Care Products May Contain Food Allergens

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

 

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Health) - Parents and physicians should exercise

caution when choosing skin care products for use on allergic children. Many

contain

ingredients to which children may be sensitive, such as milk, wheat and nuts,

according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy

of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

 

" Pediatric skin care products may represent a previous unsuspected source of

exposure for children with food allergies, " Dr. Kelly Newhall of the

Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago said.

 

Physicians who counsel children with food allergies to avoid exposure to

these foods may not be aware that certain skin care products could put them at

risk. There have been some reports of allergic reactions in the medical

literature, such as a child sensitive to milk who reacted to a diaper cream

containing

milk proteins.

 

Newhall and colleagues collected 293 lotions, creams, oils, and other skin

care products intended for children to evaluate how often ingredients from foods

are included. The researchers reviewed the ingredients stated on the labels,

questioning the manufacturers for further information when necessary.

 

The products included soaps, shampoos, creams, diaper ointments, wipes,

breast creams, powders, baby oils, and miscellaneous products, such as body

glitter, sunscreen, and hair detangler. Four fifths of the products were

manufactured

in the United States.

 

Of the products examined, 26 percent contained a common allergenic food,

including cow milk, soy, hydrolyzed soy, wheat, egg, and tree nut. Specifically,

14 percent of the skin products contained tree nuts, such as pecans or almonds,

5.1 percent contained wheat, 3.8 percent contained cow milk, 8.9 percent

contained hydrolyzed soy and 0.3 percent contained soy.

 

The researcher said they separated out soy from hydrolyzed soy because they

were unsure if those proteins are significant allergens.

 

No products contained eggs or peanuts, although two contained peanut oil.

 

Lotions, creams and baby oils were among the most likely to contain a common

food allergen, while wipes were the least likely. In addition, higher priced

products were also more likely to contain a common food allergen, most often

high-priced diaper ointments and baby oils.

 

" If you're taking care of children (with food allergies), recommend that

parents read ingredient labels on the products they choose for their child, "

Newhall advised physicians. " You have to be careful. "

 

" Skin care products should not be taken at face value, " agreed Dr. Stanley

Goldstein, a member of the board of directors of the AAAAI and in private

practice on Long Island, New York.

 

The author disclosed no financial conflicts of interest.

 

 

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_16743.html