(TIME.com) -- Two of Emily Cunningham's three children have food allergies. And protecting her kids is taking toll on the family budget. 

When she was nine months old, Cunningham's four-year-old daughter Elena ate a spoonful of yogurt and broke out in hives. Elena is allergic to eggs, tree nuts, dairy and peanuts, and even brief contact with one of the these hard-to-avoid items is all it takes to set off a potentially life-threatening immune reaction. 

Cunningham's eight-month-old son Wyatt has a bad dairy allergy too. 

In order to keep their kids safe and healthy, Emily Cunningham, a stay-at-home mother from Charlotte, North Carolina who writes the AllergenMenuMom blog, and her husband keep a completely allergy-free home, buying only food products that are free of any trace of their children's triggers. 

But that protection comes at a high price. Between breathing medications and epipens of epinephrine, a drug used to treat anaphylactic shock, the Cunninghams spend about $1,000 a month to safeguard their children from their allergies, and that's before the grocery bill. Emily estimates her family spends $80 a month just on rice milk. 

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About 4% to 6% of U.S. children under age 18 have food allergies, and the latest statistics show this percentage may be on the rise. 

Why so many kids are experiencing allergies to common food items still isn't clear, although experts suspect that some of the trend can be attributed to improved public health and sanitation efforts that may have made us too clean to build strong enough immunity to common allergens found in food and the environment. Kids not eating things like nuts and shellfish at an earlier age may also contribute to the rise in food allergies. 
How man kids does Emily Cunningham have?
Do they have allergies?
Does this challenge her?
How?
Why is this?
What do they buy?
How much are these?
Does she have to spend more than this?
On what?
How much is that?
What are her kids' names?
What is Elena allergic to?
What about her son?
Is this a common problem?
How many kids have this problem?
Why do people get allergies?
Do doctors have any guesses?
Like what?
Two
Two 
Yes.
 children have food allergies
Yes
And protecting her kids is taking toll on the family budget. 
Its taking toll on the family budget.
And protecting her kids is taking toll on the family budget. 
Protection comes at a high price.
 that protection comes at a high price
Breathing medications and epipens of epinephrine
breathing medications and epipens of epinephrine
About $1,000 a month.
bout $1,000 a month
Yes
spend about $1,000 a month to safeguard their children from their allergies, and that's before the grocery bill.
The grocery bill.
the grocery bill
$80 a month just on rice milk.
$80 a month just on rice milk
Elena and Wyatt.
Cunningham's four-year-old daughter Elena ate a spoonful of yogurt and broke out in hives. Elena is allergic to eggs, tree nuts, dairy and peanuts, and even brief contact with one of the these hard-to-avoid items is all it takes to set off a potentially life-threatening immune reaction. 

Cunningham's eight-month-old son Wyatt has a bad dairy allergy too. 
Eggs, tree nuts, dairy and peanuts.
eggs, tree nuts, dairy and peanuts
Dairy.
a bad dairy allergy
Yes
About 4% to 6% of U.S. children under age 18 have food allergies, and the latest statistics show this percentage may be on the rise. 
4% to 6% of U.S. children,
About 4% to 6% of U.S. children
It isn't clear.
Why so many kids are experiencing allergies to common food items still isn't clea
Yes
Kids not eating things like nuts and shellfish at an earlier age may also contribute to the rise in food allergies.
Not eating nuts and shellfish an earlier age.
Kids not eating things like nuts and shellfish at an earlier age may also contribute to the rise in food allergies.