* The top three sources mothers said they would consult for information about childhood allergies and allergy testing were: A physician or other health professional (98 percent), health/medical web sites (73 percent), and allergy organizations (39 percent).
* Overall, the surveyed mothers gave online interactive Websites (42 percent) and books (35 percent) the highest marks as "very helpful" to teach their child about allergies.

"The results of this survey reinforce the need for up-to-date, easily accessible resources that can help inform parents about the importance of early allergy diagnosis and the testing options available," said Donal Quinn, Chief Executive Officer, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics. "Many parents are not aware that there is a safe, simple and reliable third-generation blood test to aid in the diagnosis of allergies. Siemens is committed to allergy awareness and support for clinicians in providing allergy education for families the first step in helping children with allergies lead active lives."


Medical studies indicate that third-generation blood tests for detecting allergies common in children, including peanuts, insect venoms, milk, foods, dust and a host of other allergens, may have higher rates of precision, sensitivity and in some instances safety, than other diagnostic options.4,5 Blood tests pose no risk of triggering a severe reaction in the patient being tested.

The reason third-generation allergen-specific IgE assays offer improved sensitivity and reliability is three-fold:

* They are quantitative able to measure low concentrations of IgE antibodies in a small blood sample.
* They are automated and accurate, similar to other blood serum diagnostic tests.
* Their test antigens are standardized, enabling reliable and reproducible test results.

Siemens and The Walt Disney Company Form Alliance

Furthering its commitment to raise awareness about childhood allergies, Siemens recently announced a strategic alliance with The Walt Disney Company. The two companies have teamed up to teach children and parents about health issues through Disney storytelling. Mickey and the Giant Kachoo!, a children's book featuring Disney's Mickey Mouse, will be introduced to clinical laboratory and physician communities at this year's American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting from July 19-23 in Chicago.

For more information, please visit http://www.siemens.com/allergy-disney. The children's book will be available to clinical laboratories and clinicians in the United States later this year.

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