Webchat with consultant paediatric allergist Dr Adam Fox, Tues 18 Nov, 12.45pm

[GeraldineMumsnet]

We're delighted that top children's allergist Dr Adam Fox has agreed to come on to Mumsnet to answer queries about all things allergic. Please post any advance questions here, particularly if you're not able to make it on the day.

[DrAdamFox]

just wanted to say thanks to the mumsnet team for inviting me along. I will try to answer a few more and pass these to Geraldine to post. All the best, Adam

[DarrellRivers]

I qualified 96 as well but my husband was a Cambridge Queens pre-clinical before going to UCL so perhaps?

[thesockmonsterofdoom]

Thanks for your time.

[DrAdamFox]

darrell-was also at cambridge pre ucl so good chance i know them.

[aDad]

thanks for your time Dr...

Try and answer rootie2's question if you can...

[DarrellRivers]

I'll ask him tonight
Your name sounds familiar to me....
I can't out myself on an internet forum
Good luck with everything

[GeraldineMumsnet]

as promised, I'll add a few more answers that Dr Fox answered beforehand

[VeniVidiVickiQV]

Great webchat mnhq

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Dear MeMySonAndI ? unfortunately for the moment, avoidance is the mainstay of treatment although hopefully things will change. A couple of things spring to mind ? it is unusual (but not impossible) to be truly allergic to so many foods as you are describing. What worries me is that it sounds like the diagnoses are all based on allergy tests (skin prick and blood tests). These tests are sometimes overinterpreted and every positive test considered to represent a true allergy leading to avoidance. A low positive test often doesn?t mean you are really allergic and the tests MUST be interpreted together with a detailed clinical history. I see loads of kids avoiding foods unnecessarily because of this and I would encourage you to ensure your son is assessed by a doctor experienced at managing multiple food allergy (apologies if you are already). Also, it is essential to get advice from a paediatric dietician as even in multiple food allergy, with good advice a complete, nutricious diet can be obtained (albeit with a lot of hard work)

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Dear ladyjuliafish ? these are 2 exciting projects (Addenbrooke?s have a study looking at desensitising kids with peanut allergy and Mt Sinai are looking at allergy prevention and treatment using a Chinese herbal formula) and I strongly suspect that desensitisation will soon become a real option in food allergy although trials are still in the early stage. It is essential that the desensitisation is shown to be safe before it is rolled out and thus far bigger studies (which take time) will be required plus also evidence as to whether children are being desensitised (and will react again once the daily peanut dose is stopped) or if there is true tolerance induction (ie they remain allergy free once they stop daily peanut) ? this will take time. As for the Chinese herbal formulae ? most work has been on mice and to be honest until the active ingredient is clearly identified it
won't get licenced for widespread use in kids. Young kids with peanut allergy have a 20% chance of outgrowing the allergy ? this is higher if they have few other allergic problems and higher still if their initial allergy test was small (yours was middling). Unfortunately there is no suggestion that probiotics (or currently anything else for that matter) would help. What you do during pregnancy (ie avoid nuts or not) has never been should to make any difference.

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Dear littleted - It?s possible but unlikely and a food allergy is to be honest very unlikely. However, as you suspect, you need a doctor to have a good look at the rash to make a diagnosis ? I would go for your GP followed by a dermatologist if required rather than an allergist.

[rootie2]

thankyou to the 2 people who bumped my message up. perhaps there will be a response later...

[GeraldineMumsnet]

and finally....

Thanks KatyMac. No, I wouldn?t worry ? obviously let potential customer know it?s there but if kids are wondering around your garden putting things in their mouths, I would be more worried about choking than undiagnosed nut allergies. The list of food is also a bit bizarre especially as strawberries are a very rare cause of allergy. Reactions can occur the second or third time you eat the food so the advice seems a bit silly. It would be far better if you know how to manage a reaction were it to occur and are thus covered for any eventuality.

[GeraldineMumsnet]

rootie2 - will ask Dr Fox, but can't promise obviously. Thanks to everyone who posted questions and joined in the chat.

[10krunner]

I posted my question last Thursday and I can't see a response to it

[hellish]

Thanks so much Dr Fox for giving so much great information and advice - and thanks to mumsnet for hosting.

[trixymalixy]

Thanks dr fox for taking the time to come and answer our questions.

There were a couple of questions on the use of probiotics that didn't get an answer.

geraldine is there any way you could maybe ask him about the use of probiotics?

Thanks hopefully!!

[lulumama]

i posted the first question and did not get an answer

[lulumama]

maybe because it was quite a simple question and Dr Fox wanted to give more interesting queries an answer. never mind.

[MeMySonAndI]

OMG He answered my question!!!! THANKS!!

Sadly, we can see the reactions building up (hence the request for the tests) but will have a look to see if I can find an alergist specialised in multiple alergies... I'm afraid there is no one in my area but hope is the last thing to die

Thanks

[MeMySonAndI]

lulumama... is your 9 year old having yearly tests? It seem like quite a lot of time for a re test...

[orangehead]

Didnt get mine answered either

[orangehead]

There was alot though