Food Allergy Nursing Association - FANA

11/21/2025

📔 FANA Research & Education Update

We’re exploring how food allergy research can better reflect patient priorities in daily life.

🔎 What was studied:
This review article summarized multiple food allergy studies to evaluate outcomes reported in clinical trials. Most research focuses on lab measures or allergen challenge thresholds, but patients and caregivers value outcomes like fewer severe reactions, improved day-to-day life, and confidence in allergy management. The international COMFA initiative recommends that every trial report two core results: allergic symptoms and quality of life, not just desensitization or remission.

✨ Key Findings:
• Patient-centered outcomes matter: Lab numbers alone don’t capture what patients and families care about most.
• Quality of life is essential: Daily functioning, confidence, and anxiety management are key priorities.
• Standardized reporting improves relevance: COMFA guidelines aim to align trial outcomes with patient needs, enhancing clinical utility.

🩺 Why It Matters for Nursing:
Food allergy nurses are uniquely positioned to translate research into meaningful patient care:
• Ask families what “success” looks like for them (e.g., fewer anaphylaxis scares, less stress, ability to participate in normal activities).
• Use validated quality-of-life tools to track patient experiences and outcomes.
• Advocate for research and care that measure what truly impacts daily life, not just clinical thresholds.

🔗 Learn more:
Citation: Munblit, D., Apfelbacher, C., Demidova, A., DunnGalvin, A., & Boyle, R. J. (2025). Standardizing outcomes in food allergy research: aligning clinical trials with patient priorities. Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 25(3), 172–184. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACI.0000000000001074

Note: Nurse-authored publication

Want more insights like this? Visit our website for the latest research updates and subscribe for updates: www.foodallergynursing.org

11/21/2025

11/20/2025

News in peanut allergy treatment:

A new intradermal, at-home immunotherapy has received FDA clearance to begin clinical testing for peanut allergy. The first trial will evaluate safety in both peanut-allergic adults and children, backed by federal and private funding. Stay tuned for updates on emerging treatment options for individuals and families managing peanut allergies.

Read more here: https://www.prweb.com/releases/moonlight-therapeutics-receives-fda-clearance-of-ind-application-for-moon101-and-announces-new-funding-302586642.html

11/19/2025

🎉 You’re Invited!

Join FANA for a special online event — the 2025 December Speaker Series and FANA’s one-year anniversary celebration! This inspiring international nursing panel discussion and holiday celebration will bring together professionals from around the world to share insights, connect, and celebrate progress in food allergy nursing.

🌍 Event Theme: Beyond Borders: Global Perspectives in Allergy Nursing
🗓️ Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
🕓 Time: 4:00 PM PT / 7:00 PM ET
💻 Location: Virtual (link provided upon registration)

Panelists:
-Maria Said AM,
-James Gardner,
- Sze Cheng,

✨ Free registration includes:
-Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
-Fun prize drawings
-Global networking with fellow nurses and allergy professionals
-Open to all disciplines — everyone is welcome!

🔗 Register for free here: https://lnkd.in/dPS9k-AZ.

🌐 Visit www.foodallergynursing.org for more updates and upcoming events!

Be sure to follow FANA on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and engage with us using the hashtags below to celebrate this milestone with the global food allergy nursing community.

11/15/2025

FANA members Kim Zimmanck, MS, RN, PCNS-BC and Joan Edelstein attended the recent FARE Food Allergy Summit, thanks to Sung Poblete, PhD, RN (FARE CEO), for setting up an inspiring event bringing together researchers, clinicians, nurses, dietitians, parents, and kids/teens from across the food allergy community.

The summit offered powerful opportunities to learn, connect, and advocate, with keynote presentations by Dr Zachary Rubin and Dr Robert Wood, sessions on the microbiome, immunotherapy, medication access, and updates to anaphylaxis guidelines, plus networking and advocacy discussions with FARE leaders.

Family-friendly events included the Teal Pumpkin Halloween Bash, Teen Karaoke Social, and dedicated sessions for children, teens, and parents navigating life with food allergies.

We’re proud to see FANA members representing food allergy nurses and advancing education, advocacy, and collaboration in this growing field!

Visit www.foodallergynursing.org for more updates!

11/14/2025

📔 FANA Research & Education Update

We’re exploring the link between allergic disorders and upper gastrointestinal symptoms in daily life.

🔎 What was studied:
Researchers examined whether people with allergies who experience swallowing difficulties, heartburn, or reflux symptoms might have hidden eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), an allergy-related condition affecting the esophagus.

✨ Key Findings:
• 1 in 8 allergy patients had EoE: A significant portion of individuals with allergies may have undiagnosed EoE.
• Hidden or mild forms exist: Even when biopsies did not meet formal diagnostic criteria, lab tests revealed esophageal irritation and a “leaky” esophageal lining.
• Medications can mask symptoms: Steroid allergy sprays or inhalers may conceal EoE signs, making detection more challenging.

🩺 Why It Matters for Nursing:
Nurses play a key role in identifying potential EoE in allergy patients:
• Be alert for persistent symptoms such as trouble swallowing or ongoing heartburn.
• Recognize that standard tests may miss milder EoE, especially in patients using steroid sprays or inhalers.
• Advocate for timely referral to a GI specialist if symptoms persist, ensuring proper diagnosis and management.

🔗 Learn more:
Citation: Wojas, O., Krzych-Fałta, E., Żybul, P., Żalikowska-Gardocka, M., Ilczuk, T., Furmańczyk, K., Samoliński, B., & Przybyłkowski, A. (2025). The Overlap of Allergic Disorders and Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Beyond Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Nutrients, 17(8), 1355. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17081355

Note: Nurse-authored study.

Want more insights like this? Visit our website for the latest research updates and subscribe for updates: www.foodallergynursing.org

11/13/2025

🌟 Recap of FANA’s Latest Speaker Series: Demystifying FPIES🌟

This week, we held an insightful session on Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) with experts Fallon Schultz MSW LCSW and Raquel Durban MS, RDN.

The discussion highlighted the necessity of a holistic and patient-centered approach to FPIES management:

Psychosocial Burden: FPIES is recognized as a "social disease," requiring the integration of trauma-informed care to address the high anxiety and stress experienced by families.

Feeding Management: Raquel emphasized structured intervention for complex feeding difficulties, stressing the need for dietitian collaboration, addressing parental anxiety, and careful food introductions.

Practical Strategy: Discussions affirmed the importance of shared decision-making and utilizing tools like Fallon's three-lane approach to foster family autonomy during food advancement.

Role of the Nurse: Nurses are critical in providing comprehensive education, resources, and psychosocial support to elevate the standard of FPIES patient care.

A huge thank you to Fallon and Raquel for their commitment to elevating FPIES care standards.

FANA members can view the full program and claim CEUs at 👉 https://www.foodallergynursing.org/past-events

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11/13/2025

A new Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) study published in Pediatrics shows a remarkable drop in food allergy diagnoses — including peanut allergy — following the adoption of expert guidelines promoting early peanut introduction in infancy.

Researchers found:

🥜 Peanut allergy prevalence fell from 0.79% to 0.45%.
🍳 Overall IgE-mediated food allergies declined from 1.46% to 0.93%.
📉 Peanut dropped from the #1 to the #2 most common allergen, now surpassed by egg.

These trends highlight the lasting public health impact of the groundbreaking 2015 LEAP trial, which showed that introducing peanut early (between 4–11 months) reduces peanut allergy risk by 81%. Current guidelines now recommend introducing peanut, egg, and other allergens around 4–6 months, even for infants not considered high risk.

👩‍⚕️ Why this matters for nurses:
• Reinforces the value of early feeding guidance during well-child visits
• Emphasizes parent education and reassurance on early allergen exposure
• Supports stronger preventive care discussions in pediatric and primary care settings



For deeper insights, visit the CHOP study here: https://www.chop.edu/news/childrens-hospital-philadelphia-researchers-observe-significant-reduction-diagnosis-food
And explore more research updates at www.foodallergynursing.org.

11/12/2025

✨ Food Allergy Nursing Association invites you to attend the November 2025 Speaker Series:
Demystifying FPIES: Practical Guidance for Food Allergy Nurses

Date/Time: November 12, 2025, at 8:00 PM EST via Zoom, LCSW, CAM
Date/Time: November 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST via Zoom

Join us for an insightful session with Raquel Durban and Fallon Schultz as we dive into the complexities of Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES).
Gain practical guidance for food allergy nurses, explore real-world case applications, understand diagnostic challenges, and learn how to support families living with FPIES.

📍Location: Zoom
💰Cost: FREE for FANA Members | $10 for Non-Members

🔗 RSVP here: https://www.foodallergynursing.org/fana-speaker-series

This activity is approvedfor 1.0 contact hour(s) of continuing education (which includes 0 hour(s) of pharmacology) by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners®.

11/08/2025

✨ Food Allergy Nursing Association invites you to attend the November 2025 Speaker Series:
Demystifying FPIES: Practical Guidance for Food Allergy Nurses

Date/Time: November 12, 2025, at 8:00 PM EST via Zoom, LCSW, CAM
Date/Time: November 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM EST via Zoom

Join us for an insightful session with Raquel Durban and Fallon Schultz as we dive into the complexities of Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES).
Gain practical guidance for food allergy nurses, explore real-world case applications, understand diagnostic challenges, and learn how to support families living with FPIES.

📍Location: Zoom
💰Cost: FREE for FANA Members | $10 for Non-Members

🔗 RSVP here: https://www.foodallergynursing.org/fana-speaker-series

This activity will be submitted for 1.0 contact hour(s) of continuing education (which includes 0 hour(s) of pharmacology) by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners®.