Allergy Testing in Children
Many parents and children are afraid of having allergy skin testing because they’ve heard false reports that it is painful and upsetting. Scratch tests, the form of testing most often used in children, are mostly painless because they are done on the surface of the skin, where there aren’t any nerve endings to register pain. The intradermal technique uses a very fine needle to penetrate the surface of the skin. It is “felt” a little more than scratch testing but is still not very painful.
Many people also falsely believe that children have to reach a certain age before they can be tested. In fact, age is no barrier to skin testing; positive results can be obtained at any age. For example, in infants and toddlers who have eczema and suspected food allergy, skin tests often reveal sensitivity to milk or egg. Once parents have this information, they can keep those foods out of their child’s diet to control allergy symptoms.
Finally, experienced doctors and nurses perform allergy testing on a daily basis. They know how to take away fears and put children—and parents—at ease .
