Allergene und Kreuzallergien

[Food Allergy in Childhood]

Food Allergy in Childhood Abstract. Food allergies in childhood are on the rise and are therefore a topical issue in practice. In this article, we describe the most common allergens and risk factors for the development of a food allergy. The classification of IgE- and non-IgE-mediated food allergies and their respective clinical manifestations are highlighted. The importance of a careful diagnosis with targeted history taking and allergy testing and finally the performance of oral provocation for the diagnosis will be presented in a practical manner. We will discuss the care of families of children with food allergies, whereby support through nutritional counselling as well as equipping families with an emergency kit, including appropriate instructions for use, are important. Finally, the latest therapeutic approaches of specific immunotherapy, which aims to induce tolerance, are presented and the prognosis of food allergies is discussed.

[Pitfalls in the diagnostics of food allergies in children and adolescents]

For the diagnostics of food allergies several points need to be considered. Firstly, it is important to recognize the various clinical pictures that can be caused by a food allergy. The assignment to a disease decides which further examinations are necessary and reasonable. In immunoglobulin (Ig) E‑mediated allergies, the detection of sensitization by determining the specific IgE or the prick test in addition to the medical history is an important mainstay of the diagnostics. Crucial is the fact that the detection of a sensitization against an extract from an allergen source only rarely implies an actual allergy. The majority of positive findings are not clinically relevant. The modern procedure of component-resolved allergy diagnostics improves the significance. Nevertheless, the diagnosis can often only be achieved by oral provocation tests. This article points out possible difficulties with the interpretation of the findings.