A new evidence-based guideline published yesterday (February 23) by the U.K.-based National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence provides physicians and parents with testing and diagnosis guidelines for childhood food allergies, while warning against alternative methods of diagnosis.
The guideline covers children from birth to age 19, and aims to support healthcare professionals and patients who are dealing with a food allergy diagnosis.
According to the guideline, if a food allergy is suspected, the physician needs to take a complete clinical and food-related history and assess all symptoms, checking for signs of malnutrition.
"This guideline identifies clear, evidence-based approaches to help healthcare professionals diagnose and assess this condition, which is often misunderstood because many of the symptoms are common to other complaints, and so it’s not always easy to identify correctly," explains Dr. Fergus Macbeth, the director of the Centre of Clinical Practice at the institute.
Since there is little proof that alternative tests work, the guideline advises parents and patients to avoid using alternative testing methods offered by do-it-yourself kits or in unlicensed clinics, such as the Vega test, kinesiology or hair analysis.