Requires insurance coverage for early egg and peanut allergen introduction dietary supplements for infants at no cost

• Democratic14

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Andrew Gounardes says this is needed

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly eight percent of children across the country suffer from food allergies. A growing field of research has found that two of the most common food allergies children face, peanut and egg allergies, can be prevented through early introduction of the allergen to infants. A 2022 study titled "Early Introduction of Allergenic Foods and the Prevention of Food Allergy" published in the scientific journal Nutri- ents found that early introduction, achieved by providing infants with a small amount of protein derived from a common food allergen, can be effective in preventing the development of food allergies. Early intro- duction dietary supplements are most commonly available in powder form, allowing them to be mixed into a child's formula or soft foods. In 2021, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, in conjunction with the Canadian Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, released guidance recommending that infants be introduced to peanut and egg around six months of age. Early introduction can prevent these common food allergies from ever developing, helping to reverse the trend of more children being diag- nosed with food allergies. This legislation would require that insurers provide coverage for egg and peanut allergen dietary supplements prescribed to children under the age of one.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.