So, a study to be published in January 2010, has found that primary care physicians have knowledge gaps when it comes to diagnosis and management of food allergies. Many incorrectly identified symptoms of food allergy and few knew the appropriate dosage of epinephrine for children experiencing a reaction.
Okay, I know we expect a lot from our overworked primary care physicians and their staffs, but I do expect some basic knowledge. I've talked before about how our doctor's office, with full knowledge of my child's allergies, has given us medicine that contain his allergens or has recommended shots for him that would be unsafe. We've had a few really close calls in our own doctor's office. I don't believe we're alone.
Anyone have any stories they'd like to share?
One good action plan to come out of the study, which will be published in Pediatrics next month, is the creation of a food allergy module that can easily be used by doctors' offices.
YEAH!
3 comments:
I think this is such an important issue. My first advice now for parents of kids with suspected allergy or eczema issues is to demand a referral to a pediatric allergist and pediatric dermatologist. I have gotten pretty awful advice from my son's pediatricians over the years, particularly when he was an infant and we needed them most. I cringe now a bit when I recommend something to a parent and they say, "oh! I'll ask my pediatrician about that!" Of course people trust their pediatricians more than one parent's voice, and they should, but so often pediatricians are ill-informed.
Examples of some of the bad advice:
Best not to put any creams, medicated or otherwise, on sensitive infant skin. Even as it becomes covered in bleeding eczema with a secondary infection.
Color of infant poop (in a breastfed baby) doesn't matter, even when dots of blood appear.
He might be allergic to breastmilk (not the allergens I am eating passing through my milk but the milk itself).
I shouldn't limit my diet while nursing him, because the allergens won't pass through to the milk.
His incessant crying is because we were not burping him well enough.
And that was just the first 6 months! ;)
My son's pediatrician was convinced that he was allergic to my breast milk. I asked the allergist about it (even though I knew it was totally false information), and he said it was impossible. I was totally irritated with my pediatrician for constantly pressuring me to feed my son formula b/c he was so sure of himself.
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