After Passing a Food Challenge Test: How to Care for Your Child

A food challenge test helps health care providers figure out if a child is allergic to a food. Your child ate increasing amounts of the food during the test and did not have allergy symptoms. If your child does not show symptoms in the next few days, he or she can safely eat the food that was tested.

• Today, don't give your child another serving of the tested food. 

• Over the next 72 hours, watch for any late allergic reactions. Look out for:

  • a rash

  • hives

  • vomiting

  • belly pain

  • swelling of the lips or face

  • coughing

  • wheezing

• Follow your health care provider's directions for introducing the tested food into your child's diet. Your child might need to eat the food on a regular basis to continue eating it without having an allergic reaction.

• If your child has allergies to other foods that were not tested today, continue to keep those foods out of the diet.

• Follow your health care provider's instructions about whether your child should carry two epinephrine auto-injectors in case of a severe reaction.

• If the health care provider prescribed epinephrine auto-injectors, keep two with your child at all times, including at school, child care and activities. Make sure the auto-injectors have not expired, and don't leave them in cars or other places where they could be exposed to too much heat, cold or sunlight.

• Immediately use the epinephrine auto-injector if your child shows signs of a severe allergic reaction, including:

  • trouble breathing

  • repeated vomiting

  • throat tightness

  • a combination of two mild symptoms (such as hives and vomiting)

  • loss of consciousness (passing out)

• If your child needed epinephrine, call 911.

• Your child has any symptoms of a late allergic reaction.

• You are not sure what your child should eat.

Your child has a serious allergic reaction. 

Follow these steps:

1. Have someone call 911 while you give the epinephrine. If you're alone, give epinephrine first, then immediately call 911.

2. Lay your child down with his or her legs raised while you wait for the ambulance.

3. Take the used epinephrine auto-injector with you to the hospital. 

Even if your child is doing better after you used an epinephrine auto-injector, it's important to call 911. Some kids have a second wave of serious symptoms and need emergency medical care.

Why are food challenge tests done? A food challenge test can help doctors find out:

• if a child has an allergy when the results of other tests are unclear

• if a child has outgrown an allergy