18/01/2026
Thank you for this month’s medical feature.
A common question that parents come to me with: Should you AVOID or INTRODUCE an allergen after a reaction?
If your child has a reaction after eating a food, it’s tempting to:
❌ cut it out forever
❌ or keep giving it “to build tolerance”
However, both can be risky without guidance.
Here is why avoiding till they are much older isn’t always the answer:
Avoiding a food without confirmation can:
• increase anxiety in the family and child
• limit childhood nutrition unnecessarily
• sometimes increase the risk of developing a true allergy later
As an allergist, I often see reactions which can be most convincing are allergies which we may end up disproving or clearing with guidance.
Why re-introducing without guidance can also be dangerous:
If the reaction was a true allergy, continued exposure could lead to:
• more severe reactions
• delayed diagnosis and safety planning
What parents should do instead:
• Stop the suspected food temporarily
• Get a proper evaluation (history + testing if needed)
• Follow a personalized plan for avoidance or reintroduction
• Learn when and how to introduce safely (sometimes supervised!)
Bottom line
🚫 Don’t guess
🚫 Don’t Google-diagnose
✅ Get evaluated before avoiding or introducing
Your safest next step is expert guidance.
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Please note that all discussions are for education only and strictly not tailored medical advice.
