Should I Get Allergy Skin Tests Done on My Kids?

Hi J.,
Yes, you can do an allergy test, but beware of the kind and the lab that performs the testing. The skin pricking is unreliable for what you are looking for; you need a blood test. The lab also needs to be reputable and able to replicate the results consistently. Our pedi sent us for Food intolerance testing through Immuno Labs. They guarantee their results for various conditions. I do know that my lil' one had mild eczema, and now it is gone. We also had ear infections, and they are gone. It is tough at first to eliminate the reactive foods, but I feel empowered with knowledge to help my kids more than before. If you are looking for a new pedi, I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Bain in Frisco www.healthykidspediatrics.com and she will guide you in the right path; maybe blood test or she may have other ideas holistically. If you do not want to switch Pedi's, I recommend either Dr. Chalmers at Chalmers Wellness in Frisco (http://chalmerswellness.com)or Dr. Shepherd in Plano at Mountain Health (http://mountainhealthchiropractic.com). I have personal experience with each of these clinics and can't say enough good about them. These people have gotten our family on a healthy path and away from medications. Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions. I know it is tough to imagine doing a blood test with lil' ones, but truly it is SO worth it in the end.

We did the allergy testing and went by the results for a few years and then we did kenisology testing. I was told that the skin testing is not the best for 100% accuracy. Next time, we will have he blood testing to see what allergies have changed or may be new in our child.

My son also has excema, and we use hylira (prescription applied directly after bath) and then an all natural aloe/olive oil lotion we get from the health food store. We do this every night after a bath. We have tried every cream/ointment/lotion out there, and this has been the only thing that works for us. Much better than the steroid creams! My son has been tested, but the food allergies were not linked to his excema that I could tell. Hot weather usually makes his skin worse. This is what worked for us. Good luck to you.

My 2 1/2 year old son has HORRIBLE eczema and despite using almost every over the counter product, several of the steroid creams prescribed by the dermatologist, every allergy medicine there is, bleach baths and on and on we have still not found anything that eliminated it. Because of this and how frustrating it is not being able to help him we talked in great lengths to our pedi about the allergy testing (although we are quite certain grass is one of his triggers and how do you keep them away from that) and he advised us against it. He said that it is often unreliable, that at this young of an age their allergies can change every 6 mo. to a year, and that even if you find out what some of the allergens are for your child some like grass, pollen in the air etc are unavoidable.