The Prevalence of Food Allergies in Children Referred to a Multidisciplinary Feeding Program.

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence of food allergy in children presenting to a multidisciplinary feeding program. METHODS A retrospective chart review was conducted from 302 patients. We recorded history of food reaction, family history of any atopic disease, radioallergosorbent testing, prematurity, birth weight, breastfeeding history, Z-scores, age, and gastrointestinal mucosal biopsy reports with eosinophilic infiltrate. Three categories of possible food allergy were stratified based on increasing evidence of allergy. RESULTS Possible food allergy was found for 18% (n = 54), likely food allergy for 6% (n = 18), and very likely food allergy for 16% (n = 47) for a total of 40% classified in a food allergy group. Having been breastfed correlated with likelihood of food allergy but tube-feeding dependence did not. CONCLUSION This study revealed a higher proportion of children in a feeding program with food allergy compared to the general population, but larger prospective studies are needed to confirm the association.