Autoimmune Disease in Children
Jan
18
Written by:
1/18/2012
In a report prepared by the Autoimmune and Related Disorders Association (AARDA), autoimmune disease is listed as one of the top 8 causes of death in children and young adults aged 15-24 years. In addition to its high prevalence in the pediatric and adolescent population, the prevalence of autoimmune disease in children is on the rise.
Researchers in Finland have found that the prevalence of type 1 diabetes has doubled from 1980 to 2005. Based on this trend the number of new cases of diabetes in children under 15 in Europe is expected to rise by 70%.
Also, celiac disease is estimated to be present in 1 of every 99 children, and approximately 1.7% of the children in the U.S. have alopecia areata, and about 4,200 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with Kawasaki disease annually, with 80 percent younger than 5 years. A significant increase in autoimmune thyroid disorders has also been observed in children.
Genetic and Environmental Causes
About 1/3 of the risk of autoimmune disease stems from genetic causes. The remaining 2/3 is related to environmental exposures. According to AARDA, common environmental causes include:
Drugs, including antibiotics and analgesics
Chemicals such as silica, solvents, industrial cleaners, food additives, and pesticides
Other causes include food allergies (i.e. gluten), infectious agents, stress, ultraviolet radiation, smoking, collagen and silicone implants, and vaccinations.
Airborne Triggers
Researchers in California found evidence that long-range wind transport of infectious agents can cause human diseases. In particular, wind currents that track from Asia to Japan and traverse the North Pacifc are environmental triggers for Kawasaki disease, a form of vasculitis that can lead to irreversible heart damage. Wind currents that can cross the Pacific in one week explain the seasonal peak in this disorder in Japan, San Diego, and Hawaii, which occurs from November through March.
Sources:
Children and autoimmune disease: environmental influences and the cae for more research.
What's in the Wind?
AARDA Dec 2011 In Focus Newsletter.