What To Do About Your Kids Food Allergy

Most parents who bring their kids to the pediatrician suspecting a kids food allergy find out that it's actually a food intolerance or something entirely different. Some researchers say the percentage of allergy and lactose intolerance sufferers is growing for unknown reasons -- in fact, an 18% increase since 1997. However, other researchers argue that most kids overcome their so-called "allergies" by age 10 and that the tests used to measure allergic reactions are not very accurate. So where does that leave parents who are wondering what to do about their kids' aversion to certain foods?

What about food allergies in babies? When four week old Grayson Grebe got eczema on his cheeks, his mother began to worry. Two months later, he was diagnosed with every food allergy in the book, including wheat, dairy, egg, bean, oat, rice, barley, chicken, pork, corn and peanut. His mother stopped eating these foods, but her baby's condition did not improve. By 10 months, the doctors had cut out fruits and vegetables and put Grayson on a special hypo-allergenic formula. His eczema was so severe he needed to wear special mittens, long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent him from scratching. Once treated at the National Jewish Health center that specializes in allergies and respiratory diseases, doctors gave Grayson food challenges -- gradually exposing him to small doses of the foods he was supposedly allergic to. "We came home with 12 foods he could eat," Amy Grebe recalls. "It's made so much difference in our lives."

Despite the success for many patients, the kids food allergy tests can be terrifying for some patients. After a whole lifetime of being told that certain foods cannot be eaten, some children are reluctant to try anything new, particularly if they suspect a reaction. "There is a kind of post-traumatic stress syndrome that happens after a bad allergic reaction," explains Dan Atkins, head of outpatient pediatrics at National Jewish Health. "But the payoff in a successful food challenge is huge." Four-year-old Kevin Stokes still refused to try eggs at a Duke University Medical Center challenge. "He freaked out," his mother Jodi says, adding that Kevin still suffers from preschool child food allergies like peanuts, tree nuts and milk.

Kids food allergy tests have gotten some flack in the news recently. A study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (January, 2010) found that 66/79 children who tested positive for peanut IgE antibodies could eat peanuts safely. Similarly, doctors from National Jewish Health reported that half of the 125 patients given food challenges could tolerate the foods they'd been avoiding for years. Hopefully, there will be new blood tests in the future. Research companies like Phadia AB are looking at tests that can determine which precise molecule within a food will trigger the antibody reaction. For instance, in those patients with peanut allergies, only 3/14 molecules are associated with anaphylaxis.

Related topics about Kids Food Allergy
Dealing With Childhood Food Allergies
Rather than go through the time-consuming and money-consuming process of a Food Challenge, some parents would rather just shop carefully and try to make home life as normal as possible. Judy Phipps, owner of the Little Protégés early learning center, says she focuses her efforts on educating kids and parents about special diets for childhood food allergies. "We don't ever want to single a child out as being different.

Important Information On Infant Food Allergy
There are many online sources of information available to you if you suspect your child has an infant food allergy. You can check out websites like www.babycenter.

What Are The Types Of Food Allergies?
You can get additional information at the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network at www.foodallergy.org.