by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on August 15, 2011
Immunology celebrates its 100th birthday this month
Written by Joshua Feblowitz
One hundred years ago, a British scientist by the name of Leonard Noon attempted to treat hay fever by injecting patients with of small amounts of grass pollen. Inspired by successful vaccines for diseases like smallpox, Noon hoped to cure patients of their allergy by helping them build up an “active immunity” to the pollen.
In his laboratory at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, Noon carefully prepared “pollen extracts” to test his theory. To study patients’ reactions to pollen, he sprinkled the extract directly into their eyes – undoubtedly a very unpleasant experience, as anyone with seasonal allergies can imagine. Finally, he injected patients with the extract over several weeks in increasing amounts, successfully reducing their sensitivity to the pollen.
Noon’s 1911 study represents the first successful example of allergen immunotherapy, a treatment that involves gradually exposing an allergic person to an allergen to coax their immune system into tolerating the substance. Although Noon never uses the word “allergy” in his original paper – at the time the term was just 4 years old—his discovery marked the beginning of a new era for allergy research and treatment. Today, allergen immunotherapy continues to be employed by innovative researchers around the world, including right here at Children’s Hospital Boston. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on August 4, 2011
Written by Joshua Feblowitz, a Thriving contributor who has lived with severe food allergies his whole life.
image: flikr/Amarand Agasi
As food-allergic children reach their teens, they face many new challenges in allergy management, including a first date and even a first kiss, both of which hold hidden dangers. For parents, these romantic milestones can be especially stressful because they happen outside of their watchful, protective view.
Unfortunately for food-allergic teens, dating frequently involves dining out and all the potential allergens that come with it. In addition, research and personal anecdote has shown that kissing can sometimes cause a cross-contact reaction. On top of these dangers, teens are generally known to take more risks when it comes to their allergies or feel self-conscious about them. As a result they may resist previously established rules around exposure, or be shy explaining their dietary needs, which can lead to trouble.
So, what’s a worried parent to do? The simple truth is, as teens start dating (and being more socially independent in general), they must also start learning how to manage food allergies on their own. Here are a few things you can do as a parent to help navigate this transition safely, smoothly and with minimal conflict: Full story »
by Tripp Underwood on March 28, 2011
Image: Flickr/Dan4th
Food allergies are in the news again, and the conversation is getting heated. For starters, there was some national coverage around a Florida first-grader who’s so allergic to peanuts that her classmates need to follow special rules to keep her safe. The safety measures go beyond separate lunch tables and restriction of class-wide treats like cupcakes; all the children in her class need to wash their hands every time they enter classroom, and rinse their mouths out after eating.
To adults, the rules may sound simple to follow, but for a room full of 6-year-olds, most of whom don’t understand how food can be deadly for some people, the steps aren’t always so easy to remember. In addition to strict safety standards around food in the girl’s classroom, the school recently brought in a peanut sniffing dog to make sure there were no hidden allergy triggers lurking elsewhere in the building.
It’s a lot of regulation and upkeep for a small school, and some parents say the extra teacher attention, class time and money spent on just one child is negatively affecting the rest of the class.
“If I had a daughter who had a problem, I would not ask everyone else to change their lives to fit my life,” said one parent at the school.
Michael Pistiner, MD, MMSc
Over a thousand miles away in Chicago, there’s another food fight brewing. In January, the city’s board of education passed a mandate that would require elementary schools to serve free breakfast in every classroom, providing a much needed healthy meal to thousands of children from low-income families. No one opposes feeding hungry children, but there is a segment of Chicago’s parent population that’s vocally opposing the program: parents of kids with food allergies. Full story »
by Tripp Underwood on February 16, 2011
Eating out can be very stressful for families of children with food allergies
Sampling local restaurants is a great way for families to spend time together while getting out of the house. But if you’re the parent of a child with a food allergy, trusting the cooking to a total stranger is anything but relaxing.
“Dining out has always been a major source of stress and challenge for our family,” says Robyn Nasuti, the mother of two children born with significant food allergies. “It has isolated us from nights out with friends, and on several occasions we’ve had to walk out of restaurants after getting a blank stare from a manager or server when I mentioned all our food allergies.” Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on October 27, 2010
Joshua Feblowitz is a a research assistant at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Thrive contributor who has lived with severe food allergies his whole life. In the following post he offers advice for parents on how to make Halloween safer and more inclusive for kids with food allergies.
Halloween is a night filled with excitement, creative costumes, spooky decorations and, of course, lots and lots of candy. But for food allergic children, Halloween can be one of the most difficult and dangerous holidays of the year. Not only are there scary allergens lurking in every candy-filled trick-or-treat bag, it’s also a time your child is at risk of feeling left out of all the food-centric festivities. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on September 22, 2010
Joshua about to eat his first plate of eggs
The following is the final post in series on food allergies and their treatment at Children’s Hospital Boston. Written by Joshua Feblowitz, a research assistant at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and a freelance writer for Children’s.
After last week’s successful food challenge, it was finally time to head to my favorite diner for my first plate of eggs. As I pulled into the diner’s parking lot, a few questions were running through my mind: will I have a reaction? What should I order? What if the anticipation is better than the food? Admittedly, most of my thoughts were preoccupied with the upcoming meal, but I also couldn’t help but think about how much things have changed since I was first diagnosed with severe food allergies two decades ago.
There’s no question that the landscape surrounding pediatric food allergies has shifted dramatically. Around the country, all kinds of food allergies are on the rise. Current research indicates that as many as 4 out of every 100 kids in the US now have food allergies, a dramatic increase over the numbers a decade ago. Hospital admissions for food allergies have risen more than 500% since I was diagnosed in the late 1980s.
Full story »
by Melissa Jeltsen on June 16, 2010
The following is an excerpt from an upcoming article in Dream Magazine. Thrive reporter Melissa Jeltsen spoke with Children’s Hospital Boston gastroenterologist Richard Grand, MD, about many of the misconceptions and half-truths surrounding lactose intolerance and kids.
Q. I think my child is lactose intolerant—should I eliminate all milk products from my child’s diet?
A. Many adults and children avoid milk products because of misperceptions and myths about lactose intolerance. But long-term lactose restriction is a mistake and can result in low levels of calcium, vitamin D and other essential nutrients. The National Institutes of Health recently released findings on lactose intolerance. Among their conclusions is that it’s generally unnecessary to fully restrict lactose. Most people with lactose intolerance can adapt to lactose when it’s given in small doses over time.
Full story »
