Gastrointestinal food allergy in infants.

entity has been amply documented. It is frequently suspected in regard to cer tam gastrointestinal problems in infancy, but less often confirmed. In general, two ty pes of manifestations are recognized. In one, the symptoms are violent following a small ingestion of the involved food and in dude severe vomiting, diarrhea, anaphylac toid states, urticaria and shock. Positive re suits of skin tests are common. Various foods may be involved—often milk, eggs, fish and nuts—and symptoms may be regu larly produced by introducing the offending food. In the second category, the symptoms are delayed or cumulative and the relationship to a specific food is more difficult to demon strate. The symptoms occur in infancy dur ing the early months of life, sometimes ex tending past the first year and include colic, diarrhea and vomiting, often associated with failure to gain weight and with fre quent respiratory infections. On the other hand, all these symptoms may be caused by conditions unrelated to allergy. It is im portant therefore that the diagnosis of allergy is made only on positive evidence of allergy and that it should not be a diag nosis of exclusion.