HomeMythbuster: There is an age requirement for allergy testing. Some children are “too young” for testing.

Mythbuster: There is an age requirement for allergy testing. Some children are “too young” for testing.

September 26, 2018

If a child has an allergic reaction after eating a food, they should have an allergy assessment. There is no age requirement for an allergy consultation and possible skin testing. If a child has a severe allergic reaction (called anaphylaxis), sometimes testing can be falsely negative within 6 weeks. Hence, if there was a severe allergic reaction, a delay for 6 weeks prior to skin testing may be warranted. This is different from some seasonal environmental allergy skin testing that is typically not warranted for children less than 2 years of age.

Bottom Line: There is no age requirement for allergy testing.

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Medical content reviewed by: Dr. Julia Upton, MD, FRCP(C) Clinical Immunology and Allergy

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