What Types Of Food Allergy Tests Are Available
There are two main types of food allergy tests available. They are skin prick tests and food-specific IgE antibody blood tests.
Skin prick tests measure whether a food-specific IgE antibody is made by the body. They are done by putting a protein extract of the food on the skin. The skin is scratched lightly to make sure the extract comes in contact with the immune system in the skin. If the person makes an IgE antibody to the suspected allergen, a hive-like bump called a wheal will form on their skin. If the wheal reaches a certain size, it means the person makes an IgE antibody to the food protein tested and the test result is positive. Skin prick tests can be done in an allergistâs or pediatric allergistâs clinic.
Food-specific IgE antibody blood tests measure the amount of a food-specific IgE antibody in the blood. A medical lab takes a small amount of blood to analyze the amount of a food-specific IgE antibody. If the level of IgE antibody is above normal, it shows that the personâs immune system makes an IgE antibody to the specific food protein and the test result is positive.
The results of food-specific IgE antibody blood tests are not available immediately. The test results are sent to the allergist so they can be analyzed together with the results of a personâs health history and physical exam. A follow up conversation with the allergist is needed to learn the diagnosis.
What Is Pediatric Food Allergy
A food allergy occurs when a childs immune system mistakenly attacks a food protein. Food allergies can be serious medical conditions. They affect up to 15 million people in the United States, including one in 13 children.
During an allergic reaction, the immune system produces abnormally large amounts of an antibody called immunoglobulin E IgE for short and antibodies fight the food allergens by releasing histamine and other chemicals, triggering symptoms.
The most common food allergens are the proteins in cows milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and tree nuts. In some food groups, an allergy to one member of a food family may result in allergies to other members of the same group. This is known as cross-reactivity.
The most severe allergic reactions are often associated with peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. Food allergies are increasing among children, and there are several hypotheses as to why, though none have been proven:
Different Types Of Allergy Tests
If your pediatrician suspects that your child may have allergies or if they have exhausted all possible reasons for your child’s symptoms, they may refer you to a board-certified pediatric allergist. Before the appointment, the allergist may ask that your child not take any type of antihistamine for seven days prior to the appointment, especially if they intend to perform testing at the first appointment.
The most common type of allergy test used in children is the skin prick test, or scratch test. However, this is not the only type of allergy testing available. Here is a closer look at each type of test and what you can expect from each.
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When To Test Your Newborn For Food Allergies
A lot of parents get excited when they start to feed their child solid foods. It will be fun, adventurous and all around hysterical. Youve seen the viral videos of babies eating lemons that make us all bend over laughing. Or how about the kid that discovered bacon and experienced his first love?
The point is introducing solids is fun.
But when will you know when the time is right?
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that between the ages of 4 and 6 months is the optimal time to begin introducing solid foods. This is when babies start showing signs of readiness, which means that their bodies are ready. Some of these signs include sitting up with support, having control of their head and neck movements, showing interest in what youre eating and no longer having the reflex of pushing food out of his or her mouth.
Its important to start incorporating solid foods at this time because otherwise, your baby will get overly accustomed to liquids and loose the interest of learning how to eat solids.
When its time to start introducing solid foods, it means its also time to start testing your newborn for food allergies. The two go hand-in-hand. However, youre introducing new foods, continue to breastfeed for other meals. This will help reduce the chances of food allergies due to the immune properties in the breast milk.
Should I Introduce Highly Allergenic Solid Foods To Babies
Highly allergenic foods can be introduced to your baby between 4 and 6 months of age, just as you would introduce any other solid foods. Highly allergenic foods that you can feed your baby include:
- Dairy products such as cheese, yogurt or cows milk protein formula
- Peanuts and tree nuts in a form of butter or paste
- Fish and shellfish
You may want to be cautious when introducing your baby to highly allergenic solid foods.
One safe way to do this is to introduce the first tastes at home rather than at day care or a restaurant. You should introduce highly allergenic foods to your baby after other solid foods have been fed and tolerated, and with the first taste being at home. If no allergic reaction occurs, then you can gradually increase the amount at a rate of 1 new food every 3 to 5 days.
You should to talk to your babys paediatrician before introducing a highly allergenic food for the following situations:
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What To Expect During The Visit
- Expect to answer detailed questions about your childâs or your own health history
- Have a list and description of medical conditions, health problems, past reactions and symptoms ready
- You may be asked to allow a physical exam
- You may have skin prick testing offered
- You may be offered a requisition for food-specific IgE antibody blood tests
- A follow-up visit may be recommended
Monitor Your Child For Symptoms Of Allergies
When giving your baby new foods, you can keep an eye out for any sign of an allergic reaction. As explained in Everyday Health, if your baby is allergic to a certain food, this may show up in the form of a skin rash, breathing difficulties, congestion, or problems with digestion. Hopefully, your baby will not have any of these symptoms, but it’s a good idea to know what may indicate a problem.
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Be Especially Careful When Introducing Peanut Products
Serious food allergies are dangerous and will change the way you and your family eat. Since the most common serious allergen is peanuts, be overly cautious when introducing it to your child.
This doesnt mean hold off on introducing peanuts though. In fact, theres currently research that states that introducing younger children to peanuts, as early as 4 months old, can actually reduce the risk of developing an allergy.
Heres a great article with tips for safely incorporating peanuts into your babys diet.
What Do Results Mean
The meaning of the allergy test results depends on what test you do. If your child has a reaction to the food challenge test or elimination diet test, thats a pretty clear indicator theres an allergy to a food and they should stay away from it.
Blood tests arent as sensitive as skin tests, and can yield both false positives and false negatives.
Whatever allergy testing is done for your child, its important to place those results in the larger picture of the symptoms theyve exhibited and their reactions to specific exposures. Taken together, that will help confirm any specific allergy diagnosis.
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Test Your Baby For Allergies If They Have Any Reflux Or Eating Issues
Reflux and eating issues were the reason that our pediatrician recommended allergy testing for our son the first time around. They were trying to see if any of the foods he eats might be causing him discomfort in the form of reflux, silent reflux, GERD, or heartburn, which would make him not enjoy eating.
I actually know of some toddlers with allergies who decided for themselves they did not like eating a few foods they were allergic to before the parents even saw any symptoms or thought to test their child for allergies. Our bodies are amazing and sometimes they know what’s right and what’s wrong for them, and refusing to eat might be your baby’s or toddler’s way of telling you something is not right about what you are feeding them.
The Difference Between Intolerance And An Allergy
One thing to note is that there is a difference between an allergy to foods and intolerance to foods. An allergy is your immune systems first line of defensive. It indicates that there is something, usually a protein, in the food that will cause either respiratory or gastrointestinal problems.
There may be an underlying factor causing the allergens, but that is easier to test when your baby grows older.
Intolerance to food is more of a metabolic response unrelated to the immune system. It usually involves enzymes and chemical reactions that any given body has a hard time processing. Talk to your pediatrician to learn more about these differences and what they mean for your baby.
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What You Should Eat
You can have a well-balanced diet even without eating any dairy. You can get plenty of protein from fish, beef, chicken, eggs, nuts and beans. You can use calcium-fortified soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, or fortified orange juice to supply you with 1,000 mg of calcium each day, or you can take a calcium supplement.
You will also want to continue taking a multivitamin. Be sure to read the labels on your vitamins and any medications that you are taking. They may also contain hidden allergens.
It can take a month or more for your babys symptoms to improve. If your baby shows no signs of improvement or his symptoms get worse after a month of the dairy-free diet, you may need to eliminate other foods such as wheat, eggs, soy, peanuts or nuts.
Sometimes babies are allergic to more than one food. You may need to stay on this restricted diet the entire time you are breastfeeding, or until your infant is 1 year old. Many babies outgrow their food allergies by their first birthday.
Breast milk provides important health benefits for your baby including protection from infections and higher IQ scores, and a reduction in chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.
Next Steps
What Happens During An Allergy Test
Different types of allergy tests are used. Heres what happens during each:
Skin prick test: During this test, small amounts of substances to which your child may be allergic will be placed on your childs skin. Usually, the substances are placed on the forearm or back. Next, the skin is scratched or pricked. The skin is checked for a reaction at specific times.
Patch test: Substances to which your child may be allergic are applied to discs. The discs are then taped to your childs skin without eczema, usually on the back. Each disc contains a different allergen . Your childs skin be will checked at specific times for reactions.
Food allergy testing: A skin prick test or blood test can tell you what food allergies your child does not have.
If your child has a positive reaction to a food during one of these tests, the results must be confirmed with another type of test. Your childs dermatologist or allergist may refer to this type of type of test as a food challenge.
There are different types of food challenges. If this test is right for your child, the dermatologist or allergist can tell you what to expect.
Related AAD resources
ReferencesSidbury, R. Whats new in atopic dermatitis research? . In Lio PA , What’s boiling over: Atopic dermatitis and other eczematous conditions. Forum presented at the Summer Academy Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, Chicago, IL.
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What To Do If Your Baby Has Been Diagnosed With A Food Allergy
If your baby or toddler is diagnosed with a food allergy, it’s best to begin avoiding that specific food immediately, even if her allergic reaction isn’t a serious one. You’ll need to be very mindful of what foods your baby or toddler is going to eat at all times, especially if it’s food you didn’t prepare.
Managing Food Allergies In Children
Theres no cure for food allergies yet, but many children grow out of them. You can also take some steps to make it easier for you and your child to live with food allergies.
Avoid the food Its important for your child to avoid the food. This can be challenging, particularly as eating even tiny amounts can cause an allergic reaction. Your child also needs to avoid foods and cutlery that could have been in contact with the food theyre allergic to.
You can do 2 important things to help your child avoid the food:
- Read and make sure you understand all food labels. Be aware that some allergenic foods have different names for example, cows milk protein might be called whey or casein. But by law 10 allergens must be plainly stated on food labels cows milk, soy, egg, wheat, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish and lupin.
- Be careful when you eat out. Ask what ingredients each dish includes, how it was prepared, whether it has touched any other foods, and whether theres any risk of cross-contamination. Most restaurants are happy to tell you, but they might not know about the ingredients in some foods like sauces. Its best to avoid buffets and bain-maries because its very possible that ingredients have been transferred from one dish to another.
Have an action plan Talk to your doctor about an ASCIA action plan. This will help you recognise and treat symptoms if your child eats something that causes an allergic reaction.
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Work With Your Pediatrician
No one knows your baby’s health like your personal pediatrician. Because many factors may influence your infant’s propensity for food allergies, such as a family history of allergies or even symptoms of eczema, a doctor who has a thorough understanding of your child’s medical history is invaluable, according to US News. Nothing can take the place of an informed medical decision.
What Can I Do If My Child Is Allergic To A Particular Food
If your child is allergic to a particular food, parents can help to prevent the occurrence of allergic reactions by avoiding giving your child the food that causes the allergic symptoms. See a paediatrician to determine the foods that your child is allergic to. A skin prick test or blood test may be able to identify the types of food allergens that triggers an allergic response.
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Allergies And Breastfeeding Or Formula Feeding
Exclusive breastfeeding or first infant formula is recommended for around the first 6 months of life.
If your baby has a cows’ milk allergy and is not being breastfed, talk to your GP about what type of formula to give your baby.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you do not need to avoid foods that can trigger allergic reactions , unless you’re allergic to them.
Mild Signs And Symptoms Of Food Allergy
Food allergies can cause a lot of symptoms. If a child is too young to tell you whats going on, you may not know about some of them at all.
Other symptoms may be noticeable but have plenty of other potential causes, making them easy to chalk them up to something else entirely.
The key is to take note of what symptoms tend to happen together and whether they come on soon after eating.
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Introduce Peanuts Early To Prevent Allergy Especially If Your Baby Is High Risk
Government guidelines recommend that if your baby is high-risk , you should introduce peanut products as early as 4 to 6 months. If your baby has an intermediate risk the guidelines recommend feeding them peanut products around 6 months. If your baby is low-risk and doesnt have eczema, you can take a more relaxed approach, introducing peanut products along with other solid foods when you prefer.
The recommendation to introduce peanut products to high-risk babies early was based off one study , and how exactly to translate those findings is somewhat controversial. Some experts, Dr. Fleischer included, argue that parents shouldnt stress about introducing peanuts and other allergens so early, noting that some babies wont be developmentally ready to eat solids at that age. The important thing is to make peanuts and other allergens a regular part of your babys diet at least within the first year, Dr. Fleischer said.
NIAID guidelines recommend feeding 2 grams of peanut protein about three times per week, as was used in the LEAP study. But Dr. Venter said the most important thing is to keep peanuts as a regular part of the diet. We dont want to be anxious about dosing, she said. Babies get sick, they dont want to eat, some days they want to eat lots more, some days they only eat a little bit. And you want to enjoy feeding your baby, not stress about it, she added.
