Allergies in Children
At the University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital, our experts diagnose and treat a wide range of allergies, asthma and immune disorders in infants, children and teens.
Our team also provides specialized allergy and immunology care for adults.
Conditions We Treat
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Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
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Allergic skin rashes
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Anaphylaxis
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Angioedema
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Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
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Drug allergy
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Insect allergy
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Mast cell disorders
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Primary immunodeficiency disorders (recurrent infections)
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Sinusitis
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Urticaria (hives)
Diagnosing Allergies, Asthma & Immune Disorders
An accurate diagnosis is the first step in managing allergies, asthma and immune disorders. Our pediatric allergist/immunologists and nurse practitioner take a medical history and complete a thorough evaluation, which may include:
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Allergen skin testing
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Blood testing
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Bronchial provocation testing
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Immune function testing
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Lung function testing
After completing a thorough diagnostic evaluation, our team works with each patient to create an individualized treatment plan.
Treatment & Follow Up Care
Following a comprehensive assessment, our team will create a care plan to help eliminate or reduce symptoms. If you or your child has hay fever or asthma, we may recommend medications such as antihistamines or steroids, environmental modification, allergen immunotherapy and/or other therapies. For food allergies, we will develop an avoidance and emergency plan to prevent reactions and to treat them when they occur. We streamline care for immune deficiencies by bringing together specialists in allergy and immunology, infectious disease, hematology and more.
Food Allergy Research & Clinical Trials
Our team focuses on developing new methods for the prevention and treatment of food allergy. We are particularly interested in better understanding how probiotics (good bacteria in our gut) and prebiotics (a diet high in fibrous fruits and vegetables and low in sugar) influence food allergy. And we're using these observations to develop new therapies.
As a Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) Center of Excellence, the University of Chicago Medicine offers a variety of clinical trials and is helping to develop a national food allergy patient registry.
The University of Chicago Office of Clinical Trials regularly updates their database to include the most current research trials available.
Our research has received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).
Our work is also made possible through the support of patients, friends and family members. Please consider supporting our mission by making a gift online. In the special instructions field, please note 'food allergy program.'
