Allergies in Children

An allergy is the body’s overreaction to a foreign substance. This substance, or allergen, can enter the body any number of ways: by the nose or mouth (respiratory allergens), on the skin (“contact” allergens) or via the digestive system (food allergens). Depending on the route of entry and the organ affected, the allergic symptoms will vary.

With more than 40 years of experience, Dr. Jocelyne Just, a pediatric allergist at the American Hospital of Paris, treats severe allergic pathologies requiring biotherapeutic treatment, as well as mild to moderate allergies which can be managed over the long term through desensitization.

An allergy is a pathology that affects the skin, the mucous membranes (bronchial tube; larynx; oropharyngeal and digestive mucosa) and, in its most severe forms, the circulatory system.

Mild allergies affect an organ and have little impact on quality of life, while severe forms often consist in multiple allergies affecting several organs such as the lungs, nose, skin and digestive tract. Severe allergies begin in early childhood and continue throughout childhood and beyond if they are not treated appropriately.

Allergies are genetic but are also influenced by environmental factors (loss of biodiversity, pollution), which explains the current sharp increase in these diseases.

Asthma

• Chronic cough, especially at night
• And/or difficulty breathing, especially when exercising
• And/or breathing noises such as wheezing
• Warning signs include bronchiolitis, recurrent bronchitis, isolated difficulty breathing while exercising and an isolated cough

Food Allergies

• Urticaria
• Swelling in the face or respiratory organs (such as the larynx)
• Digestive symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing (rhinitis or asthma)
• In severe cases, fainting or drop in blood pressure

Atopic eczema is a chronic condition (that comes and goes)

• That itches
• That affects the insides of the elbows, the area behind the knees, in front of the ankles, under the buttocks, around the neck, eyes and ears and, in infants, the cheeks

Allergic rhinoconjonctivitis

• Sneezing, runny nose or congested nose when the child has neither a cold nor the flu
• Sometimes combined with watery, itchy eyes

Urticaria (hives)

• Red, raised, itchy rash that comes and goes intermittently

At the American Hospital of Paris, personalized ambulatory care for young patients is based on an accurate diagnosis reached following a series of complementary tests. Patient education is also carried out by dedicated trained professionals such as a dietician, psychologist, pediatric nurse and teacher.    

For asthma, diagnostic tests include pulmonary function testing, chest X-ray or chest CT scan for severe cases, a precise allergy assessment (skin tests, immunoglobulin blood test) and a specialized ENT check-up.

Patients with a single or multiple IgE-mediated food allergy and/or anaphylactic food allergy will undergo an in-depth allergologic investigation based on skin tests using native allergens and complex immunologic assays (measuring IgE antibodies in response to molecular allergens, basophil degranulation).

Our ambulatory department delivers multidisciplinary care, making it possible to define a personalized treatment for each patient. Our highly qualified professionals (doctor, pediatric nurse, psychologist, dietician) share medical decisions with patients and their families after providing information to them on how to manage the allergy. 

Patients with single or multiple IgE-mediated food allergies and/or anaphylactic food allergies benefit from comprehensive patient education initiatives as well as oral immunotherapy or desensitization protocols.

Special emphasis is placed on providing care to patients with multiple or severe allergies who require biotherapy, commenced on an outpatient basis.