[Treatment and prevention of food allergy]

Treatment of food allergy is above all etiological, and needs suppression of the food on condition: that it has been proven to be responsible, that it is not indispensible to nutrition. The etiological treatment may be associated with drug treatment: the anaphylactic reaction can be treated with adrenalin and corticosteroids, then chronic food allergy may be prevented or treated by: Sodium cromoglycate (Nalcron, Intercron). Ketotifen (Zaditen). Second generation anti-H1 that has a stronger anti-allergic action (Cetrizine, Loratidine). Immunotherapy or really habituation to the food is possible in some cases, but progress by ingestion of the food may be extremely slow. Prevention includes: Food of the pregnant and nursing woman: the mother should have a varied diet without excessive consumption of any food. For atopic infants diversification of foods should be late. Information to parents is essential.