It would appear that autism isn’t the only early onset disorder that is plaguing a greater percentage of children. Next posing a risk to child health: food allergies, says USA Today.

Not only are the allergies to eggs, nuts, and other foods culprits, but researchers have found that accompanying the allergies are other conditions such as asthma, hay fever and more. So allergies to food aren’t just serious for the reactions caused themselves, but they actually are a co-morbid condition for a number of life-long conditions. Thus, food allergies aren’t just a condition that children can grow out of, but instead can be a harbinger for a life filled with other health problems.

The solution? It’s hard to tell. The real question: why are food allergies on the rise and what can be changed–environmentally or otherwise–to prevent these serious reactions and their co-morbid effects from occurring? Hopefully this will be the next question for researchers and this dramatic increase in food allergies can be better understood and stopped.

Summer Johnson, PhD