Food allergies: update on research

SAN FRANCISCO – Promising new treatments for food allergies are on the horizon, including an experimental immunotherapy awaiting federal approval that allows people with high allergies to eat peanut protein without serious side effects.

Good news, no?

In fact, the idea that a child is very allergic to a particular food by eating that same food makes children allergic to life and their parents a little uncomfortable.

"It's a very big paradigm shift. From the moment of diagnosis, children are told to avoid their food triggers at all costs. But now they can be advised to approach what's scary, put it in their bodies and see what's going on, "says Linda Herbert, Ph.D., badistant professor in the Division of Psychology and Psychology. behavioral health for children.

"On the other hand, these new protections could reduce long-term anxieties, replacing daily anxiety with accidental exposure with a new sense of empowerment." In any case, many families will need support to try these new treatments allowing them a daily food allergen or wearing a patch that administers a controlled dose of this food allergen, "says Herbert.

She will discuss food allergy treatments in preparation and the psychosocial concerns of families related to daily life, by presenting a research update at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI). A small group, including Herbert, was awarded an AAAAI Foundation Heritage Conference, which honors AAAAI's distinguished members with a special lecture and plaque.

The Herbert Symposium addresses the allied health professionals present at the annual meeting, including psychologists, dieticians and nurse practitioners, who deal with a host of psychosocial issues experienced by them. families affected by allergies such as eggs, nuts and cow's milk.

"When patients arrive in outpatient therapy, they fear being safe when they are in public.They fear that their children will not feel safe at school and that they manage restaurant meals and explain why it is difficult to participate in social events such as birthday parties, trips and shared vacations, "says Herbert. "Some families limit social activities because of stress and anxiety."

The National Children's Health System takes a multidisciplinary approach to complex conditions such as food allergies, combining the expertise of psychologists, medical providers, research nurses, clinical nurses, dietitians and health professionals.

"When we all communicate, we can see the complete picture, which reinforces the care that the child receives, and it is particularly powerful that it can happen at the same time, rather than making multiple appointments," adds -t it.

During such groupings, the team agrees on a plan that is communicated to the family. A constant challenge is that one-third of school-aged children with food allergies are bullied or teased.

"Many parents do not necessarily know how to ask or how to ask, and I often suggest that clinicians discuss the concerns of their peers more in the clinic."

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Presentation of the 2019 Annual Congress of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

* "Plenary Session on Allied Health – Food Allergy Update."

Friday, February 22, 2019, from 4:15 pm to 5:30 pm (PST)
Linda Herbert, Ph.D., director of the psychosocial clinical program of the Division of Allergy and Immunology for Children.