Nutritional Management of Pediatric Food Hypersensitivity

Abstract

The diagnosis and management of food allergy requires attention to several important dietary issues. Successful exclusion of identified dietary allergens requires extensive education regarding the interpretation of ingredient labels of commercial products and an appreciation for issues of cross-contact in settings such as restaurants and commercial manufacturing. Once a food or food group is eliminated, attention must be focused on potential dietary insufficiencies resulting from these exclusions. These dietary issues are also central to the successful use of diagnostic elimination diets and physician-supervised oral food challenges. This review provides a framework for the dietary management of food hypersensitivity in infants and children both for short-term diagnostic and long-term therapeutic purposes. In addition, approaches for maternal dietary restriction for breastfed infants with food allergy and the introduction of solid foods to atopic infants are reviewed.