Contact 
Locations .png){kind=icon}
Call 
With oral immunotherapy, children can gradually overcome food allergies and gain lasting protection from severe reactions.
Available At
For children with severe food allergies, even a tiny bite of the wrong food can trigger a life-threatening reaction. The constant anxiety around meals, school lunches, and social events can overwhelm both kids and parents. At Modena Allergy & Asthma, our pediatric-focused oral immunotherapy (OIT) program is designed to help children build tolerance to food allergens, reducing their risk of anaphylaxis and giving them a safer, more confident future.
Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a groundbreaking treatment that helps children with food allergies develop tolerance over time. The immune system learns to respond more safely through controlled, daily exposure to small amounts of allergenic food, reducing the risk of severe reactions.
Our pediatric OIT program focuses on helping children with allergies to:
Years of clinical research support OIT, which is highly effective in reducing the risk of anaphylaxis. Our allergists are at the forefront of research in their field, ensuring the highest quality of care for patients of every age.
OIT is designed to help children with severe, anaphylactic food allergies. This treatment is beneficial for kids who:
Have a diagnosed food allergy with a history of reactions.
Experience high anxiety around food due to allergy concerns.
Need a safer way to prevent accidental exposures.
Want the ability to eat freely with reduced risk of reaction.
Parents meet with our specialists to discuss their child's allergy history and determine if OIT is the right fit. Your provider will then conduct comprehensive blood and skin tests to assess the severity of the allergy and confirm eligibility for OIT. Some children may also undergo a controlled in-office food challenge. Your child will then begin daily doses of their allergenic food in micro amounts, gradually increasing the amount under close supervision.
Families will have weekly check-ins and in-clinic visits to monitor progress, adjust doses, and ensure a safe treatment. Once the target dose is reached, children enter the maintenance phase, where they continue to eat the food regularly to maintain their tolerance. Your doctor will carefully monitor every phase of the OIT process and make adjustments as needed to ensure a safe and effective treatment process.
Immunotherapy offers life-changing benefits for children with food allergies, helping to reduce the severity of allergic reactions and significantly lowering the risk of life-threatening anaphylaxis. By increasing safety in daily life, it provides families with greater peace of mind, reducing worries about accidental exposures at school, parties, or restaurants. OIT can improve a child’s quality of life by allowing them to enjoy food more freely and feel included in social settings, fostering confidence and a sense of normalcy. For both parents and children, immunotherapy is empowering, easing the stress of managing food allergies and providing a path to a safer, more enjoyable life.
OIT is ideal for children ages four and up with clinically diagnosed food allergies. However, certain factors may affect eligibility, including the severity of past reactions, willingness to follow the daily dosing schedule, and the ability to attend regular follow-ups. Our team will evaluate your child’s medical history and conduct thorough testing to ensure OIT is a safe and effective option.
There is no downtime with OIT, but parents should follow key aftercare steps:
With consistent adherence, most children successfully complete OIT within 6 months to 2 years.
Oral immunotherapy (OIT) offers promising results for children with food allergies, with many beginning to see improvements in tolerance within the first few months of treatment. Significant reductions in allergic reactions often occur within 6–12 months, allowing children and their families to feel safer and more confident. To sustain these results, ongoing maintenance is essential, as continued exposure helps preserve tolerance. Over time, many children achieve long-term food freedom, gaining the ability to safely incorporate previously allergenic foods into their diets and enjoy a better quality of life.
