Parents and caregivers of children with multiple food allergies know how expensive it is to shop for groceries. Now, the latest report that spells out the financial pain of buying special food, as well as related costs, is detailed in a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

In a study looking at Swedish households avoiding milk, eggs and/or wheat, European researchers looked at both direct and indirect costs. In economic studies like this one, direct costs are those that relate to money spent directly on items like medical care, food, doctors visits, etc. Indirect costs are considered time that might have been spent earning money, but instead was spent on things related to tasks managing aspects of food allergy. This may cover things such as researching information, shopping, cooking, and not going to work in order to care for children at home.

Two groups of children were compared, those with food allergies (144) and those without (150). Not surprisingly, the total yearly costs were higher for families with food allergies than those without. In U.S. dollars, the Swedish study translates into an annual cost increase for families of about $5,000 for children up to age 12 and $6,100 for teenagers aged 13-17 years.

Similarly, a U.S. study published in 2013 found that the overall economic cost of food allergy was $24.8 billion or $4,184 per year per child. That study was larger, involving 1,643 caregivers of children with food allergies, and like the Swedish study included both direct and indirect costs.

How have food allergies affected your family’s budget? Leave a comment below, or discuss it on our
Kids With Food Allergies Main Support Forum.