Pre-schoolers food allergies are common. In fact, did you know that more than 60 percent of food allergy reactions occur in the pre-schooler years?
In the early years parents have good control and oversight of most, if not all, dietary options. However, as kids approach pre-K and Kindergarten ages, the household anxiety level seems to rise. Entering the school environment introduces a host of outside factors that could impact a child’s health and expose them to potential allergens.
On the bright side, schools tend to be a very safe environment for kids with food allergies. For instance, most schools use non-food incentives for prizes, gifts, and awards. In addition schools support the parents of children with food allergies who wish to provide safe snack items for their children in the event of unexpected circumstances.
Also, most, if not all schools have rapid access to epinephrine auto injectors in cases of a food allergy emergency. On October 30th, 2013, the CDC published national guidelines for food allergy management in schools. These guidelines can be found at www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/foodallergies.
Another optimistic point is the development of Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) for food allergy therapy.
New Third Pillar for Pre-schooler Food Allergy Therapy
Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) for food allergy is a viable alternative for your food allergic patients. At Asthma & Allergy Associates, we have been doing food oral immunotherapy for children and adolescents for 12 years. We have successfully completed OIT for multiple foods: Peanut, All Tree nuts, Milk and Egg allergy. We have the capacity to do other food allergens as well.
Traditionally, therapy for food allergy has been based on the two pillars:
- Avoidance of the allergen
- Treat allergic reactions when they occur
This two-pillar approach is often associated with high levels of anxiety, social alienation and fear. Now there is a third pillar of therapy:
Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)
We have specialized individual dosing protocols and we have the ability to use the FDA-approved therapy, Palforzia, for peanut allergy. We will help patients and their families choose the right therapy for their situation.
Please consider sending your food allergy patients to us for Oral Immunotherapy for Food Allergy.