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Important
If you reschedule your appointment date more than once,
we will remove your child from the waiting list.
About supervised feeds
A supervised feed is a way of preventing food allergy by introducing foods into a child's diet early in life.
We give your child the food under hospital supervision to monitor whether they have an allergic reaction.
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Do not forget to bring the food that is needed for the supervised feed with you on the day. If you were given a recipe to bake, prepare this as indicated. |
What happens during a supervised feed
You and your child can expect the following during a supervised feed.
- We give your child 1 portion of the food we are testing. A portion is the amount you would expect them to eat.
- We observe your child for signs of allergic reaction for 1 hour.
- You will be at the hospital for up to 2 hours.
Benefits and risks
Benefits
- Less anxiety around eating certain foods.
- A way to safely find out if your child can eat certain foods.
Risks
- There is a risk that your child may have symptoms of allergic reaction during the test. This is why we observe them in a hospital environment. We monitor for signs of allergic reaction and give your child medication to relieve symptoms if required.
- Allergic reactions can vary from mild to moderate or severe (anaphylaxis).
Important information
It is important that your child is well, showing no symptoms of asthma, with well controlled eczema, and no cough, fever or tummy upset in the 7 days leading up to your supervised feed appointment.
If your child is not fit and well, get in touch with the paediatric admin team at least 48 hours before your appointment (see Contacts section).
Preparing your child for the supervised feed
Children often feel anxious about eating a food they have previously been asked to avoid.
It is a good idea to prepare your child for their hospital visit so they know what to expect. Talk to your child in advance so they have time to ask questions about the supervised feed.
It can be helpful to bring familiar toys and books for younger children to help distract them during their appointment. Older children may wish to bring a book, a digital device (ideally with pre-downloaded content) or headphones.
Can your child take their usual medicines before their appointment?
Read the following information carefully before your child’s appointment.
Antihistamines and travel sickness medicines
| Stop giving your child the following long-acting antihistamines 5 days before their supervised feed: |
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| Stop giving your child the following short-acting antihistamines 2 days before their supervised feed: |
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| Stop giving your child travel sickness medicines and cough syrups 2 days before their supervised feed. |
Asthma medicines
It is important that your child is fit and well before their appointment.
If your child currently uses an inhaler to manage their asthma, it is important that they continue to use their preventative (brown) inhalers right up until their supervised feed. This will not affect the results of their supervised feed.
Important information
If your child needs to use their blue reliever (salbutamol) inhaler in the 7 days prior to the supervised feed, get in touch with us at least 48 hours before your appointment (see Contacts section).
If your child is unwell, contact us 48 hours (or as soon as you can) before your appointment. It may not be safe to carry out the supervised feed and we may have to reschedule.
What to bring on the day
Bring the following with you on the day.
- The food that is being challenged in a form that we advised you to prepare and that your child is most likely to accept. For example, if a younger child (age 0 to 5) is having a food challenge to nuts or tahini (sesame), bring at least 2 tablespoons of pure, smooth nut butters or tahini or finely ground whole nuts. If an older child (age 6 to 16) is having a food challenge to a nut, bring a packet of single whole nuts. If you bring egg, bring 2 eggs prepared as advised by the allergy nurse (eg 2 hard-boiled eggs).
- An additional food like yoghurt or fruit puree. We can mix the challenge food into this. This is particularly helpful if your child does not like the taste or texture of the challenge food.
- A packed lunch and some snacks that your child can eat afterwards.
- All your child’s allergy medicines, Epipens and antihistamines, as well as asthma inhalers and spacers.
- A bottle of cold water.
- A change of clothes for you and your child in case of vomiting.
What to expect during your appointment
You can expect the following on the day of the supervised feed.
- On arrival a nurse will greet your child and weigh them. They will complete a set of observations of your child, including temperature, heart rate, pulse, oxygen level and blood pressure. The nurse will also listen to your child’s chest.
- The nurse will explain the procedure in detail and you will have the chance to ask questions.
- If you are happy to go ahead with the supervised feed, the nurse will ask you to sign a consent form.
- We will give your child 1 full portion of the challenge food. We will then observe them for 1 hour, to check for signs of allergic reaction.
If your child has an allergic reaction
If your child has any allergic reaction to the challenge food during the supervised feed, we will assess immediately and treat your child according to their reaction.
We will then monitor your child for 2 hours until their symptoms have improved and we can discharge them home.If your child has a severe reaction, we may admit them to hospital.
What happens once we know the results
Your child has an allergic reaction
If your child has an allergic reaction to the challenge food we will advise you to continue to avoid the food.
We will update your child's allergy action plan. This can be shared with their school and taken with them when they travel.
Your child tolerates the challenge food
If your child tolerates the challenge food during their supervised feed, we will advise you to wait for 48 hours before you introduce the food into their diet from the next day onwards.
We suggest you give the food to your child at least twice a week, in typical mealtime portions, or as recommended by your allergy nurse or dietitian, to maintain their tolerance to this food.
Follow up
After your child's supervised feed, we will arrange a follow up appointment if necessary.
Contact information
Kingston Hospital Paediatric Admin team