During your second visit at the Food Allergy Institute, you will be provided with your child’s unique treatment plan that will detail dosing, recommended foods, and maintenance foods. Your at-home regimen will include treatment foods consisting of allergens dosed in an increasing fashion, recommended foods, and maintenance foods comprised of passed challenge foods. Treatment foods are then challenged at your next visit. The quantity for each dose and challenge will be detailed and explained during each visit. Quantities build up over time — generally week by week.
During treatment, maintenance foods are usually taken in the morning on a daily basis. Recommended foods, such as the fruits and legumes that share similar proteins to your child’s allergens, should be dosed in the afternoon as a snack, generally 3-5 times a week. Treatment foods are generally dosed daily in the evening and followed by a 60-minute rest period.
Post-graduation, patients will have a minimum dose of the lead food in each of their allergen groups that will drop down in frequency over time. This minimum dose will be required indefinitely to ensure your child’s ongoing tolerance and ability to freely eat. The program is designed to move your child into deeper and deeper states of tolerance, though large and infrequent exposure to their once most allergic foods.