What are the risks?
Allergic reactions
Food challenges can cause an allergic reaction, most involving the eyes, nose, mouth, skin, or gut. Your child will be assessed throughout the challenge and any symptoms will be monitored and treated as necessary. Generally only 16% of any food or drug challenges ever cause reactions.
Anaphylaxis is a more severe form of allergic reaction and can involve the airway, breathing, or circulation. Anaphylaxis is unusual during a food challenge; however, if needed we will use an Adrenaline auto-injector, such as an EpiPen device, to treat anaphylaxis. The nursing team will help a parent to give the adrenaline auto-injector to a younger child, and will also help an older child to do this for themselves. You will stay on the ward until your child has fully recovered. Very occasionally a child will need to stay in the hospital overnight after a food challenge.
