►February 19, 2004 - One in five asthmatics are highly sensitive to aspirin - One in five asthmatics are highly sensitive to aspirin - Systematic review of prevalence of aspirin induced asthma and its implications for clinical practice - BMJ via  www.eurekalert.org

►February 22, 2004 - Many factors in that deadly itch - As a country develops, so does the incidence of allergies grow. A conference opening today will examine this problem. - New Straits Times

►February 20, 2004 - Aspirin-Induced Asthma More Common Than Thought - HealthDay via Atlanta Journal-Constitution

►February 17, 2004 - the allergy riddle ; It's a modern plague - but why DO so many suffer? In this provocative analysis, one writer offers his own uncomfortable explanation - Daily Mail, London via http://i-medreview.subportal.com - "THIS is a plague like no other. By 2015, half of the population may be afflicted...Thirty years ago these conditions were rare, so something must have changed dramatically in our lifestyle or environment. But the figures suggest there is no single underlying cause...But are we really to believe that half the country will be allergic in a few years' time?..Maybe GPs' waiting rooms will, indeed, be full of allergy sufferers. But then again, they might just be full of those who are suffering from the oldest illness in the medical dictionary: hypochondria."

►February 2004 - Obesity and asthma in children - journal article (Journal of Pediatrics) - "We currently do not know whether there is or is not a real association between obesity and asthma in children. Further studies in pediatric populations with better measurements of obesity are highly desirable."

►February 2004 - Is obesity associated with asthma in young children? - journal article (Journal of Pediatrics) - "Conclusion This study suggests that there is no statistical association between obesity and asthma among Canadian children age 4 to 11 years. "

►February 17, 2004 - Pay more attention to food allergies, local expert urges - Kalamazoo Gazette via www.mlive.com - "Dr. James Breneman, a retired Galesburg allergist and an internationally recognized authority on food allergies, is one of a number of physicians who think food allergies are more common and less easy to define than most doctors think."

►February 14, 2004 - Prevalence of asthma and allergy in schoolchildren in Belmont, Australia: three cross sectional surveys over 20 years - journal article (BMJ)

►February 17, 2004 - Hygiene hypothesis questioned - Previous exposure to influenza A virus increases predisposition to asthma - The Scientist

►February 18, 2004 - No asthma exacerbation help from children's flu vaccination - Today in Vidyya

►February 16, 2004 - Food fright - The Washington Times - "'It is fatal unless you use the EpiPen,' Mrs. Cole says about the shot of epinephrine she has on hand to stop symptoms of allergic reaction. 'Until it hit home with me, I had no idea of the severity and risk of fatality involved. It's startling when you first learn about it.'"

Comment:  What is the incidence of allergy among infants allowed to breastfeed on demand, particularly those that are allowed to wean themselves or nurse until toddler age and beyond?  And, of course, what is the incidence among the vaccinated compared to the never vaccinated?  And if the vaccinated are more allergic, is there some protective effect of breastfeeding among the vaccinated?  (For more on the possible relationship between vaccination and allergies, go to Out of Control: "Childhood vaccinations and the risk of asthma"  - a CDC study.