Anaphylaxis in infancy compared with older children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
• Clinical Pediatrics

Background:

• Anaphylaxis data in infants (≤12 months) is limited.
• Understanding early-life anaphylaxis is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail clinical signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis in the first year of life.
• To compare anaphylaxis characteristics between infants and older children.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of a pediatric allergy database (2007-2011).
• Inclusion of 104 patients diagnosed with anaphylaxis.
• Categorization into infants (≤12 months) and children (>12 months).

Main Results:

• 23% of anaphylaxis cases were infants, showing higher rates of eczema and food allergy history.
• Infants experienced less severe anaphylaxis, with persistent vomiting being more common.
• Difficult-to-interpret infant symptoms included irritability, crying, and somnolence; blood pressure measurement was less frequent.
• Food was a more common trigger in infants, while drugs were less frequent compared to children.

Conclusions:

• Anaphylaxis in infants is underrecognized, with many signs missed.
• Infant anaphylaxis presents differently and may be undertreated due to interpretation challenges.
• Further research into infant anaphylaxis is needed for improved clinical practice.