240,000 kids to start school with allergies

Brits worst-hit with 40% sufferers

- BY MARTIN BAGOT Health and Science Editor

ALMOST a quarter of a million children are about to start school suffering with allergies, as experts warn British youngsters are among the worst-hit in the world.

At least 40% of UK children have a diagnosed allergy, such as to a food or hay fever, leading charity Asthma UK estimates.

That equates to 240,000 of the 600,000 four and five-year-olds entering reception year next month.

Schools will have to cater for scores of dietary requirements, including allergies to things such as nuts, soya and milk.

The reasons for increasing allergies in Western countries are not fully understood but are linked to the bacteria which live in our gut and work with our immune systems.