Does My Child Have a Food Allergy? A Conversation with Professor Adam Fox
By Dr Daniel Gordon • 10, Jun 2025
It’s one of the most common — and emotionally charged — questions I hear from parents in the clinic. The concern is understandable: food allergies can feel unpredictable, overwhelming, and at times, even frightening. From uncertainty about symptoms to confusion around diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, there’s a lot to untangle.
In a recent episode of The Health Perspective, I spoke with Professor Adam Fox about hay fever, and the response was overwhelming. So I invited him back to tackle another hugely important topic: food allergies in children.
Professor Adam Fox is one of the UK’s leading experts in paediatric allergy. Together, we explored the rise in food allergies, how to tell the difference between allergies and intolerances, what current scientific research says about prevention, and how emerging treatments — including desensitisation — are offering new hope for families.
What follows is a reflection on that conversation. If you’re a parent navigating this issue or simply trying to understand it better, I hope it leaves you feeling clearer, reassured, and less alone.
Is Food Allergy Really on the Rise?
One of the first things I asked Adam was whether we’re genuinely seeing more food allergies or just getting better at spotting them.
His answer? Both.
There’s strong data showing a significant rise in allergic reactions presenting to emergency departments, particularly in young children. In the UK, food allergy now affects around 5% of children, making it one of the most common chronic childhood conditions.
But here’s the catch: up to a third of parents believe their child has a food allergy, often based on symptoms like reflux, eczema or unsettled feeding. That’s a huge gap between perception and reality, and it can lead to unnecessary stress, dietary restrictions, and missed diagnoses.
Adam was clear: "Most babies will have vomiting or reflux at some point. They’ll get nappy rash or eczema. That’s just babies. But when symptoms are severe, persistent, and involve multiple systems — that’s when you need to look closer."
Guilt and the Allergy Question
Many parents I meet feel deep anxiety — and sometimes guilt — about whether something they did caused their child’s allergy. Antibiotics, C-sections, and formula feeding. These are all common worries.
Adam offered an important perspective: "There is no scenario where I’ve ever blamed a parent. Genetics play a huge role. Yes, factors like antibiotics or delivery methods might slightly nudge risk, but if your baby needed antibiotics, they needed antibiotics."
There are, however, evidence-based ways to reduce allergy risk. The biggest predictor? Eczema. The earlier and worse the eczema, the higher the allergy risk. That’s why early, effective eczema treatment matters — not just for comfort, but for prevention.
When and How to Introduce Allergenic Foods
One of the most important messages from our conversation: don’t delay introducing allergenic foods.
Adam highlighted clear evidence that early introduction of foods like peanut, egg, and sesame — especially between 17 weeks and 6 months — reduces the risk of allergy developing.
And it’s not about trying something once. The protective effect comes from ongoing, regular exposure, ideally two to three times a week.
Understandably, many parents are fearful. But Adam reassured: "Even in high-risk children, severe reactions on first exposure are extraordinarily rare. Hives around the mouth are common. Anaphylaxis is not."
His advice? "Don’t wait for a test to give you permission. If you can’t access one easily, it’s better to go ahead than delay."
Food Allergy Treatments: A New Era
For years, food allergy management was limited to avoidance and adrenaline pens. But that’s changing.
Adam described how baked milk and baked egg tolerance have helped 80% of allergic children expand their diets — and even speed up outgrowing their allergy.
And the most significant breakthrough? Desensitisation therapy.
Originally studied for peanut allergy, desensitisation involves giving small, increasing doses of an allergen under careful supervision. The goal is bite protection — enough tolerance to prevent a reaction from trace exposure.
"It’s not a cure," Adam said, "but it can be life-changing. Kids can eat at restaurants, travel, and live with far less anxiety."
Desensitisation now exists for multiple allergens — peanut, sesame, tree nuts, wheat, and more. And when started early, it can even increase the chance of outgrowing the allergy altogether.
What Parents Need to Know
In our conversation, Professor Adam Fox unpacked some of the biggest questions parents have about food allergy, from diagnosis to prevention and treatment. Here are the key takeaways:
1. Food allergy is real, but often misunderstood
About 5% of children in the UK have a confirmed food allergy. But up to a third of parents believe their child might be allergic, often due to symptoms like reflux, vomiting, or eczema in infancy. These concerns are valid, but they don’t always point to allergy. Most babies will have some symptoms that resolve with time, and overdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary food restrictions. The key, Adam explained, is to look for patterns: severe, persistent symptoms affecting multiple systems (like skin and gut) may signal something more serious.
2. Eczema is a major risk factor and an opportunity for prevention
One of the strongest predictors of food allergy is early-onset or severe eczema. The worse the eczema, and the earlier it appears, the higher the risk. But there’s good news: proactively treating eczema early — even before food is introduced may help reduce that risk. Skin health and food allergy are closely linked, and managing one can help protect against the other.
3. Introducing allergens early and often can reduce risk
We now know that delaying the introduction of allergenic foods like peanuts, eggs, and sesame increases the chance of developing an allergy. The latest advice? Start weaning around 6 months (or from 17 weeks in some cases), and don’t delay introducing common allergens — especially if your child is at higher risk. But just as importantly, it’s not about trying a food once. The protective effect comes from regular, ongoing exposure, ideally two to three times a week.
4. Introducing allergens at home is usually safe
Many parents worry about severe reactions the first time a food is introduced. But Adam was clear: serious anaphylaxis in babies is extraordinarily rare. Most reactions, if they occur, are mild, such as hives around the mouth. For most families, the safest thing to do is not to wait. Testing may be appropriate in some cases, but delaying introduction while waiting for reassurance can increase the risk. If you’re uncertain, speak to a GP or allergy specialist.
Final Thoughts
What stood out most in this conversation with Professor Adam Fox is just how much we’ve learned — and how much has changed — when it comes to food allergy.
Where once the approach was simply to avoid and wait, we’re now shifting towards early intervention, better prevention, and treatments that can meaningfully change the course of a child’s health.
For parents, that shift brings both opportunity and uncertainty. There’s more information than ever, but it can be hard to know what to trust. My hope is that conversations like this help cut through the noise and offer something practical, grounded, and reassuring.
Whether you’re a parent navigating allergy concerns, supporting a child through a diagnosis, or simply wanting to get weaning right, I hope this leaves you feeling clearer and more confident.
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