Richmond, Virginia, April 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A multi-disciplinary group of childcare professionals, healthcare providers, parents, and advocates, spearheaded by Kaléo, have united to form the Early Childhood Anaphylaxis Collaborative (Collaborative) to drive anaphylaxis preparedness in the early childcare setting.
Approximately 12 million children 5 years or younger attend childcare in the United States, and food allergies are most prevalent in children ages 1 to 5.1-3
“While general food allergy awareness has increased, many people don’t realize that the symptoms of anaphylaxis may present differently in younger children compared to older children. Also, reactions do not always present after the first exposure to a food,”4-6 said Alice Hoyt, M.D., F.A.A.A.A.I., Chief Allergist at the Hoyt Institute of Food Allergy and Chair of Code Ana, and a founding partner of the Collaborative. “Young children are typically unable to articulate their symptoms, which can result in allergic reactions going undetected until symptoms worsen, which increases the risk of bad outcomes.6 We must ensure childcare providers can recognize the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and have an emergency response plan that includes access to undesignated, stock epinephrine.”
The Collaborative will focus on equipping early childcare leaders with the knowledge and tools to recognize and respond to severe allergic reactions among young children in their care, including guidance on stocking epinephrine that is not prescribed to a specific person, known as undesignated epinephrine, where permitted.
“Up to one-third of food allergic reactions that occur in childcare centers or schools are in children without a food allergy diagnosis or when the allergy is unknown to staff,”7 said Michael Wells, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kaléo. “Kaléo is proud to work alongside our partners in the allergy community to help prepare childcare centers with the tools and resources needed to identify and respond to an allergic emergency.”
Founding partners of the Early Childhood Anaphylaxis Collaborative include
- Allergic Living
- Association for Early Learning Leaders
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
- Code Ana
- Elijah-Alavi Foundation
- Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team
- Kaléo
- Kids with Food Allergies
The Collaborative will be previewed during the annual meeting of the Association for Early Learning Leaders with a group discussion to share resources, discuss real-world scenarios, and equip childcare providers with practical tools to respond to allergic emergencies in young children.
To learn more and join the Early Childhood Anaphylaxis Collaborative, visit www.ECACollaborative.com.
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About Kaléo
Kaléo is a fully integrated pharmaceutical company dedicated to inventing, manufacturing, and commercializing life-transforming products for certain serious and life-threatening medical conditions. Kaléo’s innovative auto-injection technologies are protected by an extensive intellectual property portfolio of more than 200 issued patents, as well as being the first to meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft guidance standard for 99.999% device reliability. Kaléo is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, United States.
About Food Allergies in Children 5 and Under
Food allergies can occur in children and adults of all ages but are most common in children under the age of 6.3 The most commonly diagnosed food allergies in children under six include milk, eggs and peanuts.3 In addition, 40% of children with food allergies are allergic to more than one food.3 Nine foods account for 90% of food allergies in this age group: eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, wheat, and fish.8
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References:
1. National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). 2019. Fast Facts. Accessed Feb. 21, 2025. https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=4.
2. United States Census Bureau. QuickFacts, 2020, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts.
3. Gupta, Ruchi S., et al. “The public health impact of parent-reported childhood food allergies in the United States.” Pediatrics 142.6 (2018): e20181235.
4. Dosanjh, A. Infant anaphylaxis: the importance of early recognition. J Asthma Allergy. 2013;4(6):103-107.
5. Pistiner, Michael, et al. Caregiver-Reported Presentation of Severe Food-Induced Allergic Reactions in Infants and Toddlers. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2021;9(11):311-320.e2.
6. Fierstein JL, et al. Understanding Food Allergy Education Needs in Early
Childhood Schools. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2020;124(1):91-93.
7. Santos, Mae Jhelene L., et al. Food Allergy Education and Management in Early Learning and Childcare Centres: A Scoping Review on Current Practices and Gaps. Children 2023;10(7):1175.
8. Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team. 2023. The Top 9 Food Allergens. Accessed Apr. 8, 2025. https://www.foodallergyawareness.org/food-allergy-and-anaphylaxis/food-allergens/
- Early Childhood Anaphylaxis Collaborative
- Recognizing anaphylaxis signs and symptoms in young children.