allergy testing

[suejh]

I am confused about the skin prick allergy testing. We went to see my dd ped doc and he has had my daughter tested for food allergies which she was fine. But my doc said her wouldn't refer my 14 month old daughter for allergy testing as she was to young and she is on a very limited diet and she has to have eaten the foods before they can test her, Who is right?? I would think my doc is as he has specialised in allergies but who do you trust??

I think you do need to have some exposure for allergy testing to "work". But we had DD skin prick tested at about 5 months - before she was weaned. The allergist explained that even though she wasn't eating potential allergens, she was still exposed to them in the air, when we kissed her after eating something, etc. On that basis and given that I assume your DD is eating a wide variety of foods, I would have thought that by 14 months the tests would give a good indication of whether she is allergic to anything. But you might want to repeat testing as she gets older - both because they can grow out of at least some allergies, and because her diet will become more varied. And if you notice any reactions after food, I suppose that would be an indication for further, and possibly more specific, testing. Do you have any particular worries about allergies? We were worried about nuts, as I have serious multiple nut allergies. We fed her peanut butter in the allergist's office, and watched to see what would happen. Would that kind of controlled introduction be possible?

She is on a limited diet at the mo, we are slowly adding differant foods but it's a slow process. She has got really bad reflux and can't eat any form of dairy and because of my history off lots of differant food intollerances and a poss nut allergy they wanted her tested, but the foods she has been tested she hasn't eaten yet?? I find it strange that every doc you see they have differant ideas of what to do..

Sounds not dissimilar to us! DD is severely cows' milk protein allergic, although thankfully her reflux-type symptoms have vastly improved with a dairy-free diet. And as well as my nut allergies I am gluten and lactose intolerant. And DD had all sorts of eczema problems too. Are you seeing a paediatric allergist? If not, then press for a referral ASAP (if you can't go private, waiting lists can be long). If you are in London I can recommend our's - George du Toit, who is at St. Thomas's on the NHS. If you are seeing a paediatric allergist, then I guess stick to what they say. And, yes, it is a PITA when HCPs don't seem to sing from the same song sheet. Grrrr.