At what age can a child be tested for allergies?
Children can be tested at any age for allergies, although allergies are much less prevalent when children are less than 2 and rare when they are less than 1 year old. Testing is frequently not necessary, as treatment can be tried without testing in most cases. Testing is most often done by one of three methods: 1. Elimination, whereby the suspected allergen is removed from the child’s environment and symptoms are monitored. If symptoms disappear, then reappear after re-introduction of the allergen, the diagnosis is made. There are three main disadvantages to this method: • One must know what the suspected allergen is (not a foregone conclusion); • One must be able to eliminate it from the child’s environment; • Re-introduction of the offending agent must occur for diagnosis. 2. Skin testing, where several potential allergens are injected into the skin, causing reactions if the patient is allergic. This is expensive, time consuming and uncomfortable for the patient. 3. Blood testing (RA
There is not a short answer to your question. Allergy testing is not as simple as getting a blood test, and you want to make sure the symptoms that the child has are significant enough to warrant going through the whole process. It involves pricking the skin multiple times, and applying substances that may cause swelling and itching. This could be a very difficult, anxiety provoking situation for a two- or three- (or even four-) year-old. You also have to ask what the testing results will really tell you. I’m assuming that you are not talking about food or drug allergies but rather allergies to things in the environment. The vast majority of children who have chronic allergy symptoms are sensitive to dust mites, molds, and animal danders in the house. (This is different from seasonal allergies which occur from pollen exposure). The way to prevent symptoms is to limit the exposure to these agents: Plastic covers for the mattress, use synthetic pillows, get the stuffed animals off the be
