RX Review: Updates in Pediatric Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis for 2025 - Episode 4
In this video, part 4 of a 5-part series, panelists discuss gaps in clinician education regarding food allergies and anaphylaxis.
In this HCPLive and Contemporary Pediatrics RX Review Special Report, Brian Schroer, MD, moderates a discussion with Colleen Kraft, MD, and Russell Traister, MD, on gaps in clinician education regarding food allergies and anaphylaxis.
Kraft highlights key educational gaps, including distinguishing IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated allergies, understanding when to refer for oral or injectable immunotherapy, and managing mixed allergic conditions like atopic dermatitis and eosinophilic esophagitis. She stresses the need for primary care providers to move beyond the outdated belief that food allergies are lifelong and unchangeable.
Traister focuses on the lingering confusion surrounding early allergen introduction, emphasizing that while most providers now accept the benefits—following the 2015 LEAP study—many still lack practical guidance on how to safely introduce allergens like tree nuts or eggs to infants. He also notes the inconsistency in food allergy testing, where unnecessary proprietary panels often lead to misinterpretations and over-restriction of children’s diets, risking malnutrition.
The panel agrees that a major issue is the misuse of broad food allergy panels without allergist input. Schroer and Traister stress that negative tests generally rule out anaphylaxis risk, but positive results don't confirm allergies without proper clinical history—reinforcing the need for history-driven, evidence-based allergy care.
Part 1: RX Review: Advances in Pediatric Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management
Part 2: RX Review: Addressing Unmet Needs in Pediatric Food Allergy Research
Part 3: RX Review: Needle-Free Epinephrine and Emerging Food Allergy Treatments
Part 5: RX Review: Innovations in Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Research
Our Panelists:
Brian Schroer, MD, is an allergist immunologist at the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. Board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics, and allergy and immunology, Schroer serves as the moderator for this panel discussion.
Colleen Kraft, MD, is a clinical professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and an attending physician at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. In addition to these roles, Kraft is also the former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Russell Traister, MD, is a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist at Allegheny Health Network’s Pediatric Institute. Board-certified in allergy, immunology, and internal medicine, Traister serves as the third panelist for our discussion.
Relevant disclosures for Schroer include Genzyme, AstraZeneca, Amgen, GSK, and Sobi. Relevant disclosures for Kraft include Sanofi and Sobi. Relevant disclosures for Traister include Abbvie.
