Accidental Skin Contact With Food Allergens Does Not Trigger Anaphylaxis in Children: A Prospective…

Cohort studyActa paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)· Jun 2026

Accidental Skin Contact With Food Allergens Does Not Trigger Anaphylaxis in Children: A Prospective Multicentre Study.

Idit Lachover-Roth, Sharon Polakow-Farkash, Ido Lusky, Avraham Biegelman

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Allergy & ImmunologyCohort studyClinical practice

Most allergen skin patch tests in food-allergic children showed no reaction, none systemic

Accidental Skin Contact With Food Allergens Does Not Trigger Anaphylaxis in Children: A Prospective Multicentre Study.

Idit Lachover-Roth … Avraham Biegelman

Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway · Jun 2026

Background

Children with food allergies (food allergies) and their parents frequently fear that accidental skin contact with allergenic foods may cause severe systemic reactions.

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate the risk of systemic allergic reactions following controlled skin exposure to common food allergens in children with confirmed food allergies.

Methods

In this multicentre study, children aged 1-18 years with food allergies underwent patch testing with allergenic food applied to the forearm for 15 min.

n = 293 children

Results

most skin tests showed no reaction at all

Negative

83.7%

Mild local reaction

15.2%

Extensive reaction

1.1%

More results

293 children enrolled, including 192 (65.5%) with food allergies.

No systemic reactions or anaphylaxis occurred.

Cow's milk was associated with a higher rate of skin reactions: 16/68 (23.5%) mild local and 2/68 (2.9%) more extensive reactions.

Younger age was the main predictor of skin reactivity.

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

In this cohort, skin contact with allergenic foods in children with food allergies did not induce anaphylaxis and rarely results in mild local symptoms.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

These findings support that incidental skin exposure poses minimal risk and may help reduce unnecessary environmental restrictions and their associated psychosocial burden.

Accidental Skin Contact With Food Allergens Does Not Trigger Anaphylaxis in Children: A Prospective Multicentre Study.

Accidental Skin Contact With Food Allergens Does Not Trigger Anaphylaxis in Children: A Prospective Multicentre Study.

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