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Elizabeth

Elizabeth is now 5 years old, but at 6 months old; her pediatrician diagnosed her with eczema. After having a glass of milk just before her 3rd birthday, Elizabeth experienced stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting and her eczema got worse. Since this incident, Elizabeth’s mom has been hyper-vigilant to make sure that Elizabeth avoids milk and any foods that might contain milk.

When Elizabeth came in for her annual checkup later that year, the results of a whole allergen blood test led to the diagnosis of a milk allergy. Since 75% of children with cow’s milk allergy can tolerate baked milk1 her healthcare professional then suggested that Elizabeth should be tested with an allergen component test. 

Elizabeth’s Results

The results of an ImmunoCAPTM Allergen Components test showed that Elizabeth was allergic to milk, but that’s not the whole story. Elizabeth’s healthcare professional explained that the results showed that she had a high risk for reaction to fresh milk, but only low risk of reaction to baked milk. Because of this, Elizabeth was a good candidate for an Oral Food Challenge (OFC), where her healthcare professional and parents can see if it’s safe for her to eat milk in baked forms,2 like muffins or cakes.

After passing the OFC, her healthcare professional recommended regular consumption of milk in baked forms, but continued avoidance of fresh milk.3 Her healthcare professional said that she may outgrow her allergy and would be retesting her in about two years. 

Am I Allergic?

Why it’s important to know

Many people are so used to living with their allergies that they never think that they should have their healthcare professional reassess their initial diagnosis. Just because you know what you were allergic to a year ago doesn’t mean you know everything you’re allergic to today. Since some allergies—like milk—can change over time, retesting can help reduce unnecessary food avoidance and play an important role in your quality of life or the life of someone you love.4 Be sure to consult with your healthcare professional.

Learn more about testing

 

The people, places and events depicted in these photographs do not represent actual patients, nor are they affiliated in any way with the attached case study or Thermo Fisher Scientific.

References
  1. Nowak-Wergzen A, Bloom K A, Sicherer S H, et al. Tolerance to extensively heated milk in children with cows milk allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008; 122:342-347.
  2. Boyce JA, et al. Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of food allergy in the United States: report of the NIAID-sponsored expert panel. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010;126 (6):S1-S58..
  3. Kim JS, Nowak-Węgrzyn A, Sicherer SH, et al. Dietary baked milk accelerates the resolution of cow's milk allergy in children. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011 Jul;128(1):125-131.e2.
  4. American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. http://acaai.org/resources/connect/ask-allergist/Allergy-Testing. Accessed October 2017.