Food Allergy Center
Food allergies affect nearly 6 million children in the United States and nearly 7% of patients are cared for at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
Symptoms of food allergies can affect a child’s ability to grow and develop and can range from mild to severe. Diagnosing food allergies can be challenging — interpretation of lab and test results can be misleading, and symptoms such as pain, vomiting and diarrhea don’t always appear immediately after eating the “trigger” food.
CHOP’s Food Allergy Center is a national leader in diagnosing and treating all types of food allergies. We consistently work to develop new diagnostic tools and novel therapies to successfully treat — and in some cases cure — food allergies.
How we serve you
Each year, more than 8,700 children with food allergies come to CHOP for diagnosis, second opinions, cutting-edge treatments and to participate in clinical research studies. We offer a variety of specialized services and clinics to best support these children and their families.
Conditions we treat
Our program treats children with a variety of food allergies and related conditions, including those listed below.
Why choose CHOP's Food Allergy Center
Our Food Allergy Center has one of the largest and most accomplished teams of pediatric food allergy experts in the world. We provide multidisciplinary care, treatment and support to patients, and lead pioneering research.
Meet your team
Your child’s medical team is led by Jonathan M. Spergel, MD, PhD, Terri F. Brown-Whitehorn, MD, and Megan O. Lewis, MSN, CRNP. We develop customized treatment plans for children with all types of food allergies.
Our research
Clinicians at CHOP are leading food allergy research worldwide by investigating the causes of food allergies, developing novel diagnostic tests to determine disease severity, creating new therapeutics and leading clinical trials for EoE and FPIES.
Food Allergy Center resources
Caring for a child with a food allergy can be challenging. To help you find answers and feel confident with the care you’re providing your child, we’ve created the following list of health resources.
Resources for professionals
Everything you need to support your patient’s health, created and updated by our CHOP community of experts.
Patient stories
Events
Navigating the New Diagnosis of Food Allergy
Wednesday, Jan 15, 2025
Navigating the New Diagnosis of Food Allergy
Wednesday, Apr 02, 2025
What to expect
Learn how to prepare for your child’s appointment with the Food Allergy Center including what to bring, medications to avoid, what happens during the evaluation and about follow-up visits.
Your donation changes lives
Philanthropic donations fuel breakthrough discoveries, innovative care and pioneering treatments at the Food Allergy Center and Division of Allergy and Immunology.
