Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse’s daughter Natasha died

The number of young children admitted to hospital with anaphylactic shock — an allergic reaction so severe it can be fatal — has increased by more than 40% in just five years, new figures reveal today.

Official statistics published by NHS Digital show that 849 children aged 10 and under were treated in hospital for the life-threatening reaction in 2017-18, compared with just 601 in 2013-14.

Campaigners say more research is needed on why allergies are increasingly common in young people. About 20% of the UK population now has an allergic disorder, but there is no known cure.

The risks faced by allergy sufferers have been highlighted by the death of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, who died on a BA flight to France after eating a…