I know there is so much that goes into our minds as parents when managing our children who have food allergies. You are the parent, and ultimately you know what is best for your child. Our job at the Food Allergy Institute (FAI) is to partner with you to help "conquer" your child's food allergies. What is Oral Immunotherapy? Oral immunotherapy (OIT) gets your body used a food allergen, so it does not cause a reaction upon ingestion. OIT is a procedure performed and supervised by a Board-Certified Allergist in a clinic setting. It involves your child eating small amounts of their allergic food and progressively increasing the amount every two weeks. This process retrains the immune system to tolerate foods that previously would trigger an allergic reaction. Successful immunotherapy is when our patients can eat a significant amount of their allergenic food without a reaction. How Effective Is Oral Immunotherapy? Oral immunotherapy has been shown to be very effective. When reviewing reports, published desensitization (able to tolerate) rates in OIT studies vary from 30% to more than 90%. We are happy to report at the Food Allergy Institute; our Efficacy rate is 94% Is Oral Immunotherapy Safe? You can have allergic reactions with oral immunotherapy. The most common reactions include localized symptoms such as itchy mouth, Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, and rashes. It is also possible to have an allergic or "anaphylactic" reaction while on Oral Immunotherapy. This is why this therapy is done under the care of your Board-Certified Allergist in a supervised setting. Also, a MINORITY of patients (3-5%) may develop a condition called Eosinophilic Esophagitis. This allergic condition can lead...