The guidelines, 'Allergy in children and young people', the first to advise on food allergy in children up to the age of 19, warn against the use of all alternative testing, such as hair analysis and the Vega test, which NICE says are not effective in diagnosing allergies.
The number of people with food allergies has dramatically increased in the past 20 years, affecting 6 to 8 per cent of children up to the age of three in Europe and North America. NICE says that of the children who report an allergy, up to 20 per cent have cut out certain foods because they think they are allergic to them, without any confirmed diagnosis, which can often leave them malnourished.
'There is great variation in practice for allergy care and no agreed treatment pathways or referral criteria. Many people use alternative sources of support instead of NHS services, including non-validated tests and treatments,' says NICE.
The guidelines, which recommend that tests only be carried out by NHS professionals, are intended to provide consistency in the way food allergies are diagnosed.
Lindsey McManus, executive director of allergy services at Allergy UK, said, 'We very much welcome the guidelines and hope it will result in more children receiving a correct diagnosis.
'We do have concerns, as the guidelines recommend taking a full clinical history and carrying out investigations, which would not be possible within the time constraints of a normal GP appointment. Hopefully, the guidelines will encourage GPs to establish dedicated allergy clinics within their practices to alleviate this potential difficulty.'
