Allergy March: Is Your Body Trying To Tell You Something?

Previously posted at WEGO Health:

The "Allergy March" refers to how young children "march" down the path to allergies and allergic diseases. It usually starts with atopic dermatitis (eczema), moves on to food allergies, then nasal allergies, and eventually asthma. Not every child or every person will end up with every one of these ailments. The "march" usually starts in infancy. My son presented with eczema within a few weeks of birth. He had "problems" with breast feeding and formula within the first few months, and started using a nebulizer due to "RAD" by six months of age. I'm not sure he did the allergy march as much as the allergy run.

At the time, I had never heard of the "allergy march". It wasn't until my son was diagnosed with food allergies around the age of 10 months that I had even heard of the term. Looking back, it makes perfect sense that he was predisposed to allergic diseases. The signs and symptoms were there, but I didn't see them. And none of our doctors pointed them out to me. No one said "Your child is more prone to allergic diseases or asthma due to his immune responses". I was told however that my children were just predisposed to eczema. My older son, who does not have food allergies nor asthma, had a severe case of eczema and wore bloody eczema scabs for the first year of his life. But his "allergy march" stopped there.

According to Nation Jewish Medical Center "The 'allergic march' is, therefore, a developmental pattern for a cluster of allergic diseases that begins in early childhood, revealing itself not only as trends in prevalence,but also as a common course of atopic manifestations in families and individual children".

They offer the chart below is a simplied explanation:

1. The allergic march refers to a cluster of allergic diseases that develop in early childhood.
2. Food allergies and atopic dermatitis precede and predict asthma and allergic rhinitis.
3. Eczema and some food allergies (milk, egg, soy) tend to be outgrown or improve with age.
4. Allergic rhinitis and other food allergies (nuts, seafood) tend to persist.
5. Allergy-associated asthma persists but can improve; “asthma” without allergy tends to be
outgrown or improve.
6. Disease severity predicts persistence and progression.


As a parent, what do you do if you think your child is starting the allergy march? Talk to your physician. And if you don't get the answers you are looking for, find another physician. One mom I recently spoke with said that her pediatrician told her that her child's persistent eczema was "Nothing" and not to worry about it. This is the same child that may have just had a severe reaction to tree nuts. Our bodies and our children's bodies give us signs when something is "wrong" and we need to pay attention to those signs. Eczema is a sign that something is not right with the body. We don't need to make a big deal over it. Many babies get eczema and it is nothing. But persistant eczema should be addressed and watched. If a child is showing signs of one allergic disease the chances are greater for them to move on to another allergic disease.

According to National Jewish early intervention in the allergy march " may offer a way to shape and optimize immune development to lead to better outcomes in these children". Their suggestions are as follows:

Categories of Interventions and Preventions in Children with Atopy to Reduce the Risk of Developing Persistent Asthma
1. Early interventions attempt to normalize conditions for lung growth and development.
2. Secondary preventions intervene in young at-risk children prior to the development of
chronic lung processes.
3. Primary preventions try to optimize development of early immunity so children can
overcome other aspects of risk.

Did you or your allergic child take the allergy march? Did your physician at the time recognize the signs and symptoms or did they go unnoticed? Do you have any suggestions for a parent who thinks their child is starting the allergy march?


For more information on The Allergy March and allergies in children see:

National Jewish MediSci Update: The Allergic March Of Childhood: This is a 12 pages document from one of the leading medical centers dealing with allergic diseases. It's a detailed look at the allergy march in children.

How to tell if your baby has food allergies from My Mommy Manual: This article talks about signs and symptoms of a food allergy in babies and what to do if you suspect that your child has food allergies.

WEGO Health's Allergy Rash page: A list of some of the best links on the web that discuss allergy rashes/eczema. How to know if you have it and what to do about it if you do.

AAAAI - Eczema Exposed: A comprehensive look at eczema from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology