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Do you think your child has FPIES? Learn more about the diagnosis, what to expect, and what to do next.
Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is not an easy condition to diagnose. Blood allergy tests are not reliable as they only look for IgE-mediated food allergies, which FPIES is not. There is no actual laboratory test available for diagnosing FPIES.
If FPIES is suspected, based on symptoms alone, the only way to get an accurate diagnosis is through an oral food challenge. A small amount of the food allergen is fed to the patient under medical supervision to observe the symptoms. If a reaction occurs, a positive FPIES diagnosis is made. A diagnosis may take several weeks, because the food allergens need to be introduced to the child’s diet one at a time to identify which ones trigger the reaction.
There is no current laboratory test for FPIES as it is a condition caused by a non-IgE-mediated food allergy. Oftentimes, it can take time to get a diagnosis as the symptoms resemble those of a severe stomach flu.
It can be difficult to diagnose FPIES because blood allergy tests only look for IgE-mediated responses. Usually a diagnosis occurs after repeated allergic reactions. If you think your child has signs and symptoms of FPIES, keeping a food journal can be helpful, for your healthcare team, in identifying triggers.
Adequate management will vary depending on the child and on which food triggers a reaction and its severity. For infants with FPIES to cow milk, a hypoallergenic formula like Neocate® may be needed. For infants with more severe FPIES and poor growth, an amino acid-based formula like Neocate® can be used to help ensure normal growth & development. Talk to you doctor to see if Neocate is right for you. For some children who have fewer triggers, recommended management may be to eliminate those foods from their diet. Reintroducing foods slowly, as guided by your doctor – one at a time and for up to three weeks – is extremely important to identify both safe and trigger foods.
Many children with FPIES outgrow the condition by the age of 3, but this varies depending on how severe the symptoms are. The types of food that trigger the reaction can also determine whether FPIES will last into later life. To determine if your child has outgrown FPIES, work with your doctor on reintroducing one food at a time also known as oral food challenge.
For infants with FPIES, depending on the triggers, a hypoallergenic formula like Neocate® might be suggested. Neocate® is a hypoallergenic amino acid-based formula designed for the dietary management of CMA, MFA, FPIES and related GI and allergic conditions.
Ask your healthcare professional if Neocate is right for your child.
A common method is to avoid suspected food allergens altogether under direction of your doctor. Over time, foods will be reintroduced into the child’s diet (one at a time) under medical supervision to help identify the trigger foods.
The process of reintroducing food allergens back into your child’s diet must be done under medical supervision. Your doctor will guide you through the complete process. Simply put, if your child has outgrown a trigger food/s for FPIES entirely, they will not react to that food/s when reintroduced.
Neocate® is a family of hypoallergenic, amino acid-based specialized formulas for use under medical supervision and is indicated for cow milk allergy, multiple food allergies and related GI and allergic conditions. Talk to your healthcare provider about product recommendations.
Neocate Nutra is suitable for use in children and infants older than 6 months of age (not suitable as sole source of nutrition). Neocate Nutra is not intended for bottle or tube feeding.
Within days of his birth, Roland showed signs of dairy protein intolerance. He wasn’t able to nurse and was tube-fed his mom’s pumped breast milk. His mom eliminated dairy, then soy, and eventually all allergens from her diet, but his condition worsened over time. He was eventually diagnosed with FPIES. Neocate, an amino acid-based formula, recommended by his HCP helped to manage his FPIES symptoms, and Roland became a smiling, easy to care for baby.*
*Individual results may vary.
**A patient’s story from the US
Born completely healthy, Kennedy started having blood in her stool at around 2 weeks. Her condition started improving with Neocate® Infant*. However, at 6 months, almost every solid food caused a vomiting reaction. An allergist formally diagnosed Kennedy with FPIES. Kennedy was 100% tube fed for the following months. Her FPIES RD gave us Neocate Splash after the age of 1. For the 1st time, she drank half of it in one go!**
*Sold in Canada as Neocate® DHA & ARA infant formula
**Individual results may vary.
***A patient’s story from the US
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