What's the Best Way to Test My Child for Food Allergies?

If you can remember a time when food allergies among kids weren't really a concern, you’re right to recall it that way. Food allergies have been increasing massively over the past few decades — they rose by 50% between 1997 and 2011 and another 50% between 2007 and 2021.

Today, 1 in 13 children has a food allergy; these rising numbers show no signs of slowing. 

As a parent, it makes sense to check for food allergies, which is where the Neighborhood Pediatrics team comes in. Under the direction of Dr. Sharon Lucas and Dr. Rachel McConnell, we help parents navigate the challenging world of allergies, which starts with testing.

Kids and food allergies

Let’s first take a broader view of food allergies so that you have a better idea about what you’re up against. 

First, about 90% of food allergies in kids are in response to nine allergens, including:

1. Peanuts
2. Milk
3. Eggs
4. Wheat
5. Soybeans
6. Tree nuts
7. Fish
8. Shellfish
9. Sesame

With some of these, kids can outgrow the food allergy, but peanut, tree nut, fish, and shellfish allergies are often lifelong.

When it comes to allergic responses, they can vary considerably in terms of severity and type, and include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Hives
• Rashes
• Swelling around the face and throat
• Itchiness
• Stomach cramps
• Difficulty breathing

In extreme cases, children can develop anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening response to allergens that includes a dangerous drop in blood pressure and constriction of the airways.

Staying one step ahead of food allergies through testing

Whether your child has already reacted to a certain food or you want to be proactive about food allergies, we’ve got you covered.

At our practice, we offer different ways in which we can test for food allergies, including:

Skin prick testing

With skin prick testing, we use a tiny needle to introduce a small amount of the allergen into your child’s skin. If there’s a reaction in the skin, which typically occurs within 15 minutes, it indicates a possible allergic reaction from the injection.

Blood tests

We can also run blood tests to check for specific antibodies that can indicate a food allergy. We often use this testing to confirm any skin prick findings.

If your child responds to the skin prick test and their blood test shows antibodies, it still only means that they may be allergic to foods. If you have some experience with allergic reactions to back up our findings, then we can assume that a food allergy exists.

If, however, you haven’t registered any reactions in your child, we might try a controlled test in which we introduce the food in incremental amounts to get a response. We do this in the safety of our office under our supervision.

Once we have a clear idea about whether your child has a food allergy, we help you create a good management and treatment plan if they do.

If you’d like to set up an appointment to have us test your child for food allergies, we’re happy to help. To set that in motion, contact us at our Shenandoah, Texas, office at 832-843-2049 today. You can also use the online booking feature.