Potentially fatal food allergies untreated

CHILDREN with severe food allergies that could kill them are having to wait up to eight months to see Ireland’s only publicly appointed paediatric allergy expert.

One in 12 Irish children suffer from a rare food allergy and, while the population base suggests Ireland should have four publicly appointed child allergy experts, it only has one, who works part-time.

Professor Jonathan O’Hourihane, head of paediatrics and child health at University College Cork, said he could only devote half of his time to dealing with childhood allergies because of teaching and research commitments.