The safety of a food challenge is probably the first thing that goes through your mind when your allergist suggests performing a food challenge with your Sweet Pea. You may be thinking, “S/He wants my kiddo to eat ______ even though Sweet Pea may be allergic to it? What if…”
That’s completely normal and quite an appropriate response! We want to protect our children, not subject them to an allergic reaction.
So why do a food challenge? And is it even safe?
In this episode of the podcast, I interview my friend and former fellow Dr. Samantha Knox about her research in the safety of food challenges. You won’t want to miss this episode because we discuss:
- What is a food challenge?
- Where should one be performed?
- How often do kiddos have allergic reactions during this procedure?
- Are there skin or blood test cut-offs for when to perform a food challenge?
- How often is epinephrine administered?
- How often do kiddos need to go to the ER during a food challenge? SPOILER ALERT: not often!
Additional Notes
I’ve mentioned the non-profit Code Ana…
The non-profit The Teal Schoolhouse supports Code Ana, which equips schools for medical emergencies like anaphylaxis. Code Ana’s School Program is a comprehensive approach to school-focused medical preparedness. In a nutshell (pun???), this program guides schools through the process of creating a medical emergency response plan. A plan is sooo important for all kiddos and for adults at any school! Our primary goal is to share the School Program. Code Ana’s Online Epinephrine Training Program helps support that goal. Through this program, you will educate yourself while you support this important mission! (BTW although Pam and I serve in leadership roles of Code Ana and The Teal Schoolhouse, our time/effort/work is completely voluntary). Does your kiddo’s school have Code Ana?
