[Allergic reactions to cereals in children with atopy].

Cereals are the necessary and the major products in the diet. The aim of the study was to determine the dependence of frequency of sensitization to various cereals in children with atopy upon the age and diagnosis on the basis of anamnesis, the results of elimination diets, skin tests and the presence of specific IgE antibodies. 416 children and adolescents aged from 6 months to 17 years with atopic dermatitis (n = 359) and asthma (n = 57) has been investigated. The frequency of sensitization to cereals in children with atopic dermatitis according to skin tests ranged from 31 to 43%. Expressed sensitization (skin test +++, ++++) on the large majority of groats did not exceed 3% and only on corn and barley, it took place in 5.8 and 3.8%, respectively, while 81% of these children data coincided with a case history. The percentage of severe sensitization in boys was generally higher than that among girls. The percentage of pronounced sensitization to cereals increased with age in patients with atopy. The reason why the frequency of marked sensitization to maize in asthmatic children older than 7 years reached 20% and in children with atopic dermatitis reached 7.5% at the age of younger 1 year and 7.7% at the age from 3 to 7 years, remains unclear and requires further study.