Skin prick tests tomorrow for 19mo DD

[belindarose]

Is there anything I should know or do that will make this experience with my very headstrong toddler any easier? She's being tested, finally, after a mildish reaction to peanut butter about ten months ago. We were told to avoid nuts until now. Thanks

it's fairly straightforward. how many things is she being tested for?

when ds2 had his done they did the skinpricks and then we went and played for 15 minutes, then they just looked at them to see if any had reacted...

fairly quick and mostly painless :)

What timing - I'm just putting together a para or too on diagnosis of allergies for the Food Allergy Mums website so - here's draft:

Skin prick tests introduce a tiny and safe amount of allergen into the skin along the inner arm. These are considered safe for almost all children and babies unless the reaction to the allergy is suspected to be too severe. Having agreed which allergens they are going to test for, the specialist nurse will then drop tiny amounts of the allergen extracts along your child?s arm, coding them (expect to come home with an arm covered in biro) and then ? here comes the scratch ? prick through the drop with the tip of a lancet. It is uncomfortable but not painful. The nurse will also add a ?negative control? (normally saline water) to which your child ought not to react, and a ?positive control (normally a histamine) to which your child ought to react. These control tests allow you to understand how well the allergen prick tests can be trusted.

Skin prick tests results show almost immediately. A positive reaction will show as a red swelling (a weal) which can measure anything up to 2cm in diameter. The size of the reaction will be noted, BUT it does not indicate the severity of symptoms, just the level of anti-bodies that are /or are not present which may be causing your child?s symptoms.

hope it helps!