Food allergies increase

(ANSA) - Rome, August 31 - Food allergies in children are on the increase but schools remain unprepared to tackle the phenomenon and canteens appear unable to cater for a wealth of growing special needs.
    Italy is also lacking specific protocols guiding teachers on how to intervene in case of allergic reactions to food and the issue of whether to allow schools to give medication to children remains controversial. According to a study published in August by Europrevall in conjunction with Rome's Bambino Gesù hospital, food allergies affect 2-3% of children under the age of 3, between 1 and 3% of children of school and pre-school age and 1% of teen-agers.
    The problem is particularly troubling in nurseries and pre-schools but it also affects large numbers of schools: in a city such as Rome, it is estimated that there are at least 20,000 children with food allergies and about 50,000 allergic children in the whole Lazio region. Alessandro Fiocchi, allergy expert at the Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital, said that the school diet for allergic children should be construed according to a specific certificate granted by a specialist, however often these certificates are not handed out following the appropriate screening tests.
    Eight per cent of children in Italian schools produce these certificates but the number of documents does not add up with the estimated number of allergic children.
    Italy also lacks specific provisions authorizing teachers to give life-saving medication to children who suffer anaphylactic shocks.