Twelve Myths About Food Allergies in Children

Food allergy is often the first manifestation of allergy in a child, and this problem is most relevant at an early age. With an allergic reaction to food, a seemingly not very significant pathology, a so-called «atopic march» may begin with the development of severe forms of allergic diseases in a child. At the same time, a favourable course of food allergy is possible with the disappearance of disorder signs with age. The disease prognosis depends on many factors, both genetic and environmental, but early diagnosis and adequate treatment of children with food allergies in most cases allow to improve the prognosis of tolerance formation or, at least, to achieve a mild course of food allergy manifestations. It is pediatricians who first deal with early manifestations of food allergies, and adherence to clinical guidelines for managing patients avoids the most common mistakes. This article is addressed to practicing doctors. It considers the most common mistakes of pediatricians in the management of children with food allergies and discusses the surviving «myths» about this pathology.