As Seen on TV: Food Allergy Research for Kids

Oct. 23, 2008— -- Food allergies among children are increasing at an alarming rate in the United States. According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, children with food allergies are two to four times more likely to experience other conditions, such as asthma, than children without. But new research that tests exposing the child to small amounts of whatever he or she is allergic to, which builds tolerance, may offer hope to parents and children coping with dangerous food allergies.

Has someone in your family been newly diagnosed with a food allergy? For basic information on how to cope with grocery shopping, cooking, eating out, carrying medicine and more, check out the "Living With Food Allergy" page by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.

Also, check out its Frequently Asked Questions page for a basic rundown of allergy treatments, reactions and information on food intolerance.

Back to school with food allergies? Check out these resources for elementary and secondary school students and their parents.

New research is under way to find a cure for food allergies. Consortium of Food Allergy Research conducts clinical trials and basic research to find the best approach to treating food allergies. The consortium has clinical centers in five locations around the country. For more information on their locations, or to learn more about upcoming research opportunities, click here.

Interested in participating? Two consortium studies are seeking participants ages 12- to 40-years-old. One seeks to treat peanut allergies through exposure to peanut proteins. For more information on this study and others, visit clinicaltrials.gov.

Research exploring the effect of Chinese herbs on life-threatening food allergies is also under way. To learn more about this study, visit clinicaltrials.gov.

ABC News does not endorse or recommend any research projects.