Food allergy is defined as reaction to a food which has an immunologic mechanism. Its prevalence is increasing in children globally and is therefore of increasing clinical importance. A useful clinical approach is to distinguish food allergic reactions by the timing of clinical reaction in relation to food exposure and classified as immediate (generally IgE-mediated) and delayed (generally non-IgE-mediated), with the exception of eczema and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease, which, when associated with food allergy may be associated with either mechanism. This review is aimed at providing the clinician with a Singaporean perspective on the clinical approach and management of these disorders.
Breast Feeding ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Eczema ; diagnosis ; immunology ; Food Hypersensitivity ; diagnosis ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity, Delayed ; diagnosis ; prevention & control ; Immunoglobulin E ; blood ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Skin Test End-Point Titration