Oral food challenge

An oral food challenge is the safest way of finding out whether your child reacts to a food (allergen). There are different reasons why you might have been invited for an oral food challenge:

• Diagnostic challenge: This is used when it is unclear if a food is causing the reaction and the diagnosis of an allergy needs to be confirmed. 

• Resolution challenge: This is used to see if a food allergy is outgrown and the food can be tolerated and reintroduced into your child's diet. 

• Demonstration challenge: This is for teenagers who have never been exposed or were too young to remember an allergic reaction. This will show what the initial stages of an allergic reaction feel like and will help them to learn how they respond to treatment. 

• Desentitisation: This is when it is felt your child may be able to tolerate small amounts of baked milk or egg to try and speed up a tolerance to the food. 

What happens during an oral food challenge?

• During an oral food challenge, you or a child in your care will be required to consume their food allergen. 

Food is provided by parents or carers and not by the clinic

• Allergens will be consumed in increasing quantities/ doses and may be variable on the day (more doses may be required but your child will have to consume a minimum of 3 doses).

• When you arrive you will have the opportunity to ask questions and you'll be asked to sign a consent form. We try to involve the child as fully as possible in this process. Before the oral food challenge is started your child will be examined and the state of their general health recorded.

• Your child will be asked to eat or drink increasing measured amounts at timed intervals.

• A specially trained nurse will carefully monitor your child. Your child must stay on the ward during the challenge and for at least two hours after the challenge has stopped.

• It can last up to five hours but can be all day if your child is unwell during the challenge.