Food Allergy Treatment Center

05/21/2024

What is a proximity challenge in food allergy?

Check out Sakina Bajowala, MD’s video.

11/07/2023

Dr. Bajowala was pleased to join her colleague, Dr. Alice Hoyt, for an engaging discussion about shared decision-making.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xwFy7h-iQs0&si=qKOjS7nv_wvG1vOL

09/20/2023

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-nasal-spray-epinephrine-neffy-rcna105078

The move came as a surprise: In May, an FDA advisory committee voted to recommend approval of the drug for children and adults.

05/17/2023

https://apnews.com/article/peanut-allergy-treatment-toddlers-skin-patch-295f5ceca8aca1c2aadfe6473f1c97b0

A new study finds an experimental skin patch shows promise to treat toddlers who are highly allergic to peanuts. There is no cure for this common allergy. The only treatment is for children 4 and older who can consume a special powder to train their bodies to tolerate an accidental bite. The patch n...

05/01/2023

A systematic approach to dietary expansion in individuals with food allergy.

Are you avoiding waaay more foods than needed due to fear of reactivity? Let's walk through a systematic approach to dietary expansion.

04/28/2023

A brief explanation of why recommendations on food allergen introduction have changed over the years.

A brief explanation of why food allergen introduction recommendations have changed over the years.

04/10/2023

High School and Undergrad students with an interest in public health research, medicine, or advocacy - consider this program through the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research! Applications are being accepted now!

Thank you for your interest in the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR) Ambassadors Program. When: July 17th- July 21st, 2023 Where: Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center, 303 E Superior St. Chicago, IL 60614. ALL IN-PERSON! Who: Current high school and undergraduate students Under...

03/11/2023

A unique peanut allergy immunotherapy continues to show promise for children.

01/18/2023

Join the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research (CFAAR), at Northwestern University - The Feinberg School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, on Thursday, January 26th to learn from experts on available food allergy and EoE treatments happening around the country and in the Chicagoland area. Hear more on emerging studies and have your questions answered! Feel empowered to make the best decision for your family. Register now for this free event: https://bit.ly/3WZZza8

12/14/2022

SpoonfulOne will be suspending sales in the USA indefinitely, on the heels of a lawsuit alleging that many of their allergy prevention products (such as puffs and pouches) do not contain the advertised 30 mg each of egg, milk, and peanut protein. The lawsuit further alleges that even this 30 mg target may be an insufficient dose for inducing or promoting oral tolerance, based on the existing peer-reviewed studies.

I've long been a proponent of early allergen introduction for food allergy prevention, as has the broader allergy community. My preference has always been to introduce whole foods in their native forms whenever possible, while modifying presentation to account for a baby's developmental stage and choking risk.

For many families, the advent of medicalized food products for allergen introduction seemed to be a convenient way to introduce food allergens and reduce the anticipated stress of keeping track of how to maintain various allergens in the diet regularly. So, many will be disappointed to see this product disappear from their local store shelves. I understand the fear this announcement might evoke.

Please don't despair. There are accessible and affordable ways to introduce food allergens using whole foods from your grocery store. And once you've incorporated the various allergens into baby's diet, keeping them in regularly doesn't have to require spreadsheets and complicated calendars. It just requires dietary diversity, which has been shown to reduce the risk of allergies AND picky eating.

As a pediatric allergist who has devoted my career to food allergy prevention and treatment, I believe we need to step back from the over-medicalization of infant feeding.

If you are feeling overwhelmed because you've been relying on a homogenized allergen-introduction product, and aren't sure where to go from here... please talk to your pediatrician, family doctor, or allergist about how to transition to allergen maintenance from within your child's meals. I promise - it is doable, affordable, and effective. ❤️

05/21/2022

Please check your peanut butter.

Do not eat, serve, or sell recalled Jif peanut butter; FDA’s investigation ongoing

05/20/2022

This is enormous news for patients with eosinophilic esophagitis.

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Dupixent (dupilumab) to treat eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in adults and pediatric...