Food Allergies And Children Recipes Food Cooking International Guide

Food Allergies And Children With No Reliable Method Of Testing

By Julia Taylor-Fernandez

The problem with food allergies and children is that there are no reliable methods of testing for allergies. As you may have heard, there is a blood test they can do to look for the presence of the immunoglobulin E antibody, which will indicate an allergy or food intolerance.

However, many people have tested positive for an antibody, even though they have no reactions to food whatsoever. Then there is the "skin prick test," where doctors place a little bit of the allergen beneath the skin and wait to see if there is any reaction.

Of course, this method is not 100% proven either and it cannot determine whether the reaction will be mild or severe. Some doctors believe the most accurate way to test for food allergies in children is to give them small doses of the food in a clinical setting and observe their reaction.

Building Tolerance Over A Period Of Time

"Children Can Complete Treatment For Peanut Allergies And Achieve Long-Term Tolerance, Studies Suggest," reads a Science Daily headline. Duke University Medical Center doctors have been studying food allergies in children for a long time.

At the beginning of the monitored clinical tests, participants with this type of nut allergy couldn’t even tolerate one sixth of a peanut, yet within six months they were eating 13 to 15 peanuts before a reaction occurred.

Some Children Lost Their Allergies

Nine of the thirty-three children in the study have been on maintenance therapy for over 2.5 years; of these children, 4 can now eat peanuts freely. "It appears these children have lost their allergies," explains Wesley Burks, MD.

"This gives other parents and children hope that we’ll soon have a safe, effective treatment that will halt allergies to certain foods. We see initial desensitization effects of the treatment are real," Burks says. "Those children are now able to eat up to 15 peanuts with no reaction, but the children not on treatment have symptoms early on in the study."

More Reliable Testing To Show Cause

"Eczema In Children Is Increasing, But Diet Is Not The Cause, Study Suggests," reads a March 2009 food allergies and children headline. "Restricting children’s diets can harm their health and growth, so parents need to be careful about acting on unproven theories about diet and eczema," said Professor Sawicki, the Institute’s Director.

"Trials have shown that eliminating foods like milk or eggs from the diet of small children with eczema probably only helps if they have proven food sensitivities. Formal allergy tests like the skin prick and challenge tests done with your doctor can help you get a more reliable picture of whether or not a suspected food really is causing the problem."

Skin Condition Clears Up

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care stresses that food allergies in infants are not always the culprit for eczema, and that the skin condition often clears up in its own.

You may wonder how your child’s food allergy symptoms can be treated or eliminated. This is the biggest topic in the food allergies and children debate. Lead author Xiu-Min Li, M.D. of the Sinai School of Medicine thinks he may have the answer.

A Serious And Sometimes Fatal Condition

His revolutionary new Food Allergy Herbal Formula-2 protected mice against anaphylactic shock for more than 36 weeks after treatment was discontinued. "Food allergy is a serious and sometimes fatal condition for which there is no cure," says Dr. Li.

"Approximately 80% of fatal or near-fatal anaphylaxis cases are due to a peanut allergy in this country. There is an urgent need for effective therapies to prevent and treat those who suffer from food allergies and FAHF-2 could prove to be a major advancement in this field."

Human trials are currently being conducted to see if FAHF-2 will prove effective against peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish allergies. Co-author Hugh Sampson M.D. believes "this botanical drug has the potential to be developed into the first available and effective treatment for patients with peanut and other food allergies."

Please Note: All information given on this site is for general information and is not to replace any medical opinion or medical diagnosis or any other medical expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see a medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.

About the Author:
Julia Taylor-Fernandez has written a number of articles on food, cooking and dieting including General Nutrition, Salad Dressings, Low Carb Cheese Cake, Teen Weight Loss, Low Carb Dinners, Health Food Store, Organic Baby Food.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.

Did You Know?

Can child food allergies be dangerous?
Yes, child food allergies can be very dangerous. Most reactions are fairly mild and may only involve some upset stomach symptoms. But other reactions can cause the throat to swell or even cause the child to go into shock.

That is why it is extremely important to know exactly what your child is allergic to so you can prevent them from coming into contact with or eating that particular food. If the allergy is severe enough your child may have to keep an Epi-Pen with him or her at all times just in case they do ingest something they are allergic too. An Epi-Pen is a dose of epinephrine that acts as a stimulant to the body.

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