Specialized Care for Food Allergy in Early Life
The Division of Allergy and Immunology has a specialized approach for the prevention, early identification and management of food allergy in early life. We see young children who may be at risk for food allergy or who already have food allergies.
Our early intervention initiatives are directed by Ashley L. Devonshire, MD, MPH, including establishing the Beginning Introduction to Allergens Early Clinic and working with the Division of Dermatology on the stopping atopic march collaborative.
Beginning Introduction to Allergens Early provides families with information on prevention of food allergy and is associated with clinical research opportunities includes an experimental pipeline for pediatric food allergy research housed within the Center for Autoimmune Genomics and Etiology and the Division of Allergy and Immunology. The stopping atopic march collaborative is a primary prevention initiative for infants with severe eczema to stop the progression of eczema to food allergies, allergic rhinitis and asthma.
Schedule an Appointment
If you are a caregiver of an infant or toddler at risk of, or affected by, food allergies, please call 513-636-2601 to schedule an appointment.
Place a Referral
To place a referral, please contact our food allergy coordinator at 513-636-9227 or email Dr. Ashley Devonshire at ashley.devonshire@cchmc.org.
Food Allergy Prevention Recommendations
Guidelines from leading researchers now recommend early introduction of peanut and egg into the diet of all infants, in an effort to prevent the development of food allergies. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Addendum Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy in the United States (nih.gov) recommend the early introduction of peanut into the diet of at-risk infants.
Resources
FARE: Introducing Peanut Foods to Babies
The Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) developed a resource to guide families in introducing peanut to infants to reduce risk of developing peanut allergy: Introducing Peanut Foods to Babies | Baby's First: Reduce the Risk by FARE.
How to Read a Label For Food Allergies
Whether your child has received a new food allergy diagnosis, or you are a seasoned food allergy parent, reading food labels has its challenges. Read more on the Cincinnati Children's Blog.
Why Early Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)?
Amounting evidence supports that oral immunotherapy (OIT) may be more effective while the immune system is developing and adapting in early childhood. Although oral immunotherapy can be effective at other ages, early childhood oral immunotherapy is associated with fewer side effects and promising outcomes for some.
