Allergy/Immunology

Who we are

The Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children’s Hospital Boston diagnoses and treats children, adolescents and adults with allergic disorders and immunodeficiencies. This can include common allergy-related problems, such as food- and pet-allergies, eczema and asthma, as well as more complex and rare immunodeficiencies, such as Hyper-IgM, in which the immune system fails to produce certain antibodies.

Our expertise

Clinical trials are underway to evaluate and develop new treatments for patients with allergies and immunodeficiencies. Ongoing studies include looking at the effect of allergy in immune response to small pox and the role of hormone infertility therapy in the development of childhood peanut allergy.

Ongoing studies are supported by National Institutes of Health grants in excess of $3.5 million annually.

A new treatment for food allergies

At least a dozen genes are suspected of having a role in food allergies and related diseases
Food allergies effect one in 10 children in the United States
Children’s is working on ways to "reverse" allergies through innovative new desensitization treatments

A new view of asthma education

Asthma is the leading cause of hospitalization at Children's
Some of the best ways to improve asthma outcomes—education and home interventions—are often not covered by insurance
Children's researchers found that for every $1 invested in asthma education over 20 years, there was a cost savings of $7 to $36

Discover: Allergy

Children with food allergies should carry two doses of emergency medicine

In a large six-year review of emergency department (ED) data, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, found that many children with severe food-related allergic reactions need a second dose of epinephrine, suggesting that patients carrying EpiPens should carry two doses instead of one.