The GA²LEN 2022 Guidelines, Hypoallergenic Formula and Individualised Care in Food Allergy Management
- 03/08/2023
Video description
Information for Healthcare Professional Use Only
This webinar presented by specialist allergy dietitian, Kate Grimshaw, discusses the GA²LEN (Global Allergy and Asthma European Network) 2022 guidelines on managing food allergies, aiming to help healthcare professionals effectively support patients with food allergies.
Highlights of the webinar include:
- Purpose and Development: The GA²LEN guidelines were created by a multidisciplinary team of allergy experts to unify research on food allergies and improve clinical practice through a structured methodological approach.
- Key Clinical Questions: The guidelines address 5 key areas including dietary interventions, educational strategies, and identifying individuals at risk of severe allergic reactions.
- Dietary Recommendations: The guidelines suggest avoiding offending foods for allergic individuals. The guidelines also suggest that breastfeeding mothers of infants with food allergies do not typically need to avoid allergens themselves. This is based on the lack of clinical studies supporting the effectiveness of exclusion in breastfeeding mothers. The guidelines suggest that if there is a need for a breast milk alternative, they suggest a hypoallergenic extensively hydrolysed cow's milk formula or an amino acid formula.
- Individualised Advice: Emphasising tailored dietary management to accommodate individual patient needs, including various dietary preferences like vegetarianism.
- Education and Training: There is a call for improved education and support for families managing food allergies to bridge knowledge gaps and encourage informed decision-making.
Watch the full webinar to learn more about the latest guidelines for managing food allergies.
We also have a number of webinars on cow’s milk allergy including diagnosis and symptoms.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
We believe that breastfeeding is the ideal nutritional start for babies and we fully support the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life followed by the introduction of adequate nutritious complementary foods along with continued breastfeeding up to two years of age.
We also recognise that breastfeeding may not be an option due to certain medical conditions. Parents should only feed infant formula for special medical purposes under supervision of a healthcare professional after full consideration of all feeding options, including breastfeeding. Continued use has to be assessed by the healthcare professional in relation to the baby's progress bearing in mind any social and financial implications for the family. Infant formula should always be prepared, used and stored as instructed on the label in order to avoid risks to a baby’s health.