Children in the inner city of New York have high rates of food allergy and IgE sensitization to common foods

Only 1 study to date examined the prevalence of IgE sensitization to foods in asthmatic inner-city children and found that food sensitization can be considered a marker for increased asthma severity.4 Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006 data indicated that African American boys of low socioeconomic status were at highest risk for food sensitization.5 We explored IgE sensitization and allergy to foods in inner-city children (>95% insured with Medicaid) from the Mount Sinai Allergy Clinic that serves East Harlem, New York. [...]the acceptable substitute is the determination of sIgE levels to foods, particularly the use of established 95PDP values.