Physician Referral Online

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of Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Physician Referral Online
Using your own criteria, you can request information from a database of 900 area physicians who have registered to participate.

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New help for parents managing food allergies in their children

The Food Allergen Labeling and Protection Act is an historic piece of legislation for the millions of children with food allergies.

Until now, food manufacturers have relied on Food & Drug Administration recommendations for guidelines on consumer labeling—a faulty system subject to myriad misinterpretations. The new regulation will provide clear and concise information that's easy for consumers to interpret. Labels will include readily identifiable ingredients such as milk versus confusing scientific terms like casein, sodium caseinate, lactoglobulin or lactalbumin.

Clear food labeling regulations will significantly aid people of all ages with food allergies.

Food allergies a serious concern
A food allergy is a serious health concern, especially for children. Each year, food allergy-induced reactions are estimated to account for nearly 200 deaths and 30,000 emergency room visits, as there is no cure for food allergies as yet.

The only successful method to manage food allergies is by avoiding the foods containing the trigger known to cause reaction in the individual. Therefore, public policy must continue to evolve to create better education and prevention about the condition.

Managing food allergy in a child
Parents must take great care in managing a young child's food allergy by learning to read food labels. Look for ingredients the child may be allergic to and practice strict avoidance of those foods. If an ingredient is unfamiliar, a call to the manufacturer before giving it to the child can be a lifesaving idea.

In addition, children with potentially severe food allergies should obtain prescriptions for Epi-Pens, an epinephrine-filled syringe that can be administered by the caregiver or be self-administered in the event of ingesting a food allergen.

In addition, parents should talk with and educate other family members and caregivers about their child's food allergies. Most people do not understand how serious food allergies can be and may think it is all right to give a child just a small amount of a food to which he or she is allergic. Anyone who comes in contact with a child who has a serious food allergy, including teachers, friends, relatives and day care providers, must be made aware of the child's condition.

Parents must also communicate effectively with their child. A child needs to be educated about his allergies so that he can learn to avoid food allergens. It is a good idea for the family to create a medical action plan related to the food allergy for necessary emergency responses should an allergic reaction occur.

Children with severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis should wear a medical alert bracelet to notify others of their condition and should carry an epinephrine autoinjector (such as the EpiPen JR) to ensure rapid treatment during an allergic reaction.

Diagnosing a food allergy
Children with a personal or family history of allergic disease are at increased risk for developing a food allergy. A pediatrician who specializes in allergy management should make the diagnosis of food allergy. A thorough review of the child's medical history and a diary of what foods the child eats before he or she has symptoms is a good way to help figure out what food is causing the problem.

Outgrowing food allergies
At least half of the children who develop a food allergy during the first year of life outgrow it by the time they are two or three years old. Some reactions to food, for example milk, are more often outgrown than others. Although 3-4 percent of all infants have a cow's milk allergy, less than 1 percent of these infants are allergic to milk the rest of their lives. Allergies to tree nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish often do last a lifetime.

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Dr. Calderon is a board-certified pediatric allergy and immunologist on the medical staff of Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. He is a member of the faculty at the Yale University School of Medicine.