[Topical issues of food allergy diagnosis in pediatric practice]

Food allergy (FA) in children, especially in infancy, is still a significant public health problem. The severity and prognosis of disease progression associated with FA considerably depends on the correct and early diagnostics of this pathology, as well as on the following management of a child. At the same time delayed elimination diet administration, unreasonable or overlong dietary intervention might have become abuse management of a patient and have a negative impact on the development of a child and reduce the quality of life. The article summarizes the current practical approaches to the diagnosis of FA based on evidence-based medicine and adopted European and Russian national consensus documents, as well as on our own experience of management of patients with this pathology. FA diagnosis in a child usually includes clinical laboratory tests and clarification of clinical and anamnestic data. Unfortunately, it is a fact that preference is given to laboratory methods for diagnosis based on specific IgE determination or skin samples. However, the basis for cause-significant allergen identifying is detecting detailed medical history and clinical picture of a disease which still appears to be the most reliable tool for FA diagnosis.