US allergists have documented three cases of severe anaphylaxis in children caused by fish collagen in an energy drink, cold-pressed castor oil and squishy toys, infohub.kz reports.
According to the medical portal News Medical, unexpected ingredients in everyday products, cosmetics and toys can trigger severe anaphylaxis in children and teenagers that requires emergency adrenaline. The three clinical cases were presented by doctors at the 2026 annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).
The first case involved a 15-year-old boy with asthma and eczema who developed hives and difficulty breathing minutes after drinking a new energy beverage. Allergist Annabel Rowland determined that the drink contained 5 grams of cod collagen, while standard skin tests for fish came back negative because the test materials contained too little of the protein.
The second case was described by Dr. Keyun Wang: a 10-year-old girl with eczema developed anaphylaxis for the first time after cold-pressed castor oil was applied to her scalp; unlike the refined version, the oil retained castor bean proteins.
The third report was prepared by allergist Megan Marte: an 11-year-old girl was admitted to intensive care twice in one week with throat swelling and breathing difficulties after playing with different squishy toys. Blood tests showed she was sensitized to latex, which may have been present in the rubber stress toys.
Doctors urge parents and physicians to scrutinize hidden ingredients when allergic reactions occur without explanation.