Although the majority of children outgrow allergies to bee, wasp and other insect stings, almost one in five who had allergic reactions when stung as children - especially those who had serious allergic reactions - are likely to have reactions later in life, according to a study by Johns Hopkins scientists.
"Contrary to popular wisdom, a great number of children do not outgrow allergic reactions to insect stings," says David Golden, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins and lead author of a report on the study appearing in the Aug. 12, 2004 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. "The good news is that for children with moderate to severe reactions, allergy shots will lower the risk of serious reactions to stings even 10 to 20 years after treatment is stopped."
Allergy shots, or venom immunotherapy, give purified bee or other insect venom in small doses that build up over time and are recommended for children who have moderate or severe reactions, including dizziness, breathing difficulty and lowered blood pressure. There is little need for the therapy in children with milder reactions, such as minor swelling and hives, said Golden.
Between 1978 and 1985, the researchers diagnosed allergic reaction to insect stings in 1,033 children, of whom 356 subsequently received venom immunotherapy. To determine how many children outgrow their allergies to insect stings, the researchers collected follow-up information on more than 500 of these children, of whom 40 percent had received stings in the six to 32 years after their first reaction.