Late reactions in food challenges common

(HealthDay)—Late reactions in children undergoing food challenges are common and poorly predicted but generally not severe, according to a study published online May 10 in Allergy.

Jacquelien Saleh-Langenberg, from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues sought to determine the prevalence, severity, and clinical characteristics of late reactions in food-allergic children and adolescents after a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) in 1,142 children.

The researchers found that there were late reactions in 400 child-test combinations. These late reactions were poorly predictable and generally not severe. Younger children reported more late reactions, including those on the placebo day.

"Children who do not experience severe immediate reactions may be safely discharged home two hours after a DBPCFC," the authors write.