Advising Parents on Complementary Feeding and Food Allergy Prevention

This education is about:

• Guidelines for complementary feeding
• Early allergen introduction for food allergy prevention
• Best practices and clinical considerations for early introduction of allergenic foods
• Utilizing allergenic foods to help increase diversity during the complementary feeding period
• Caregiver counseling on early introduction and complementary feeding

Why it matters:

Food allergy is on the rise in the United States. Although ample evidence demonstrates the benefit of early allergen introduction to reduce the risk of food allergy in infants, implementation of the guidelines among the general public is low. Caregivers may be unaware of or confused by the guidelines or hesitant to implement them in daily life. Given that there is a “window of opportunity” for benefit with early allergen introduction—and this window closes fastest for the highest-risk infants—it is critically important that clinicians are prepared to proactively discuss early allergen introduction and support caregivers in following the guidance in a timely manner for all infants.

• Profile

  Raquel Durban, MS, RD, LDN

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  Raquel Durban, MS, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian at the Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.  She received her MS degree in nutrition from the University of Maryland and completed a dietetic internship at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

  Ms. Durban is a recognized authority on the dietary and nutritional management of food allergies. Working with patients, their families and other healthcare providers, she conducts detailed assessments and creates personalized plans tailored to patients’ specific nutritional needs, taking lifestyle issues into consideration.

  Ms. Durban is the founder of the Food Allergy Institute of Charlotte, and administrator for disease-based support groups and community outreach programs. She is the cocreator of a mentorship program which provides an opportunity for dietitians to expand their knowledge of food allergies through a partnership with dietitians specializing in the field. Ms. Durban’s initiatives also included acting as program facilitator for Camp ROAR (Really Outstanding Allergy Retreat) a food allergy friendly summer camp held in Pineville, North Carolina for kindergarten through 8th grade students.

  A frequently invited speaker at allergy and immunology conferences, Ms. Durban has also contributed her expertise to numerous peer reviewed publications and continuing education programs. She is a steering committee member and cochair of the internship program of the International Network of Dietitians and Nutritionists in Allergy and serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the International Association for Food Protein Enterocolitis. She plays an active role in the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), serving on several of the organizations’ committees, collaborating with other healthcare professionals and patient advocacy groups to improve the quality of life and advance understanding for patients and families living with the challenges of food allergies.

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  Raquel Durban, MS, RD, LDN

  Registered Dietitian
  Carolina Asthma and Allergy Center
  Charlotte, North Carolina

• Profile

  Ruchi S. Gupta, MD, MPH

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  Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, is a professor of pediatrics and medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a clinical attending at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Gupta received her medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine, completed an internship at the University of Florida Shands Children’s Hospital, a residency at the University of Washington Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, and fellowships at Harvard Medical School and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She received her master’s degree in public health from Harvard School of Public Health.

  Recognized internationally for her groundbreaking research in the areas of food allergy and asthma epidemiology, Dr. Gupta has made significant contributions in the areas of prevention, socioeconomic disparities in care, and the daily management of these conditions. Her current research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Food Allergy Research & Education. Active projects for which Dr. Gupta is the principal investigator include two large trials that will explore the early introduction of peanut and other common food allergens, and evaluate interventions designed to prevent peanut allergy.  

  Dr. Gupta is the founding director of the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR), an organization that employs an interdisciplinary, collaborative approach to improving the health of children, adults and families living with allergic disease. CFAAR is recognized for its research into the prevalence and the economic impact of food allergy in the United States and for developing and disseminating interventions that inform local, state, national and international policy.

  The author of The Food Allergy Experience, written to educate parents, caregivers, teachers, and healthcare providers about how food allergies impact all aspects a child’s life, and Food Without Fear, that provides advice for patients and their families on how to identify, prevent, and treat food allergies, Dr. Gupta has also produced numerous other publications for both lay and professional audiences, including strategies to improve the primary care management of food allergy and asthma.

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  Ruchi S. Gupta, MD, MPH

  Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine
  Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
  Clinical Attending
  Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
  Founding Director
  Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research
  Chicago, Illinois

• Profile

  Olga Kagan, PhD, RN

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  Olga Kagan, PhD, RN, FHIMSS, FAAAI, is the founder and principal of OKHCC Professional Healthcare Consulting, executive board director of the Society of Nurse Scientists, Innovators, Entrepreneurs and Leaders (SONSIEL), an adjunct professor at Molloy University in Rockville Centre, New York, and an adjunct associate professor at the CUNY School of Professional Studies in New York City. Dr. Kagan received her master’s degree in nursing administration and informatics, and her PhD in nursing from the Barbara Hagan School of Nursing at Molloy University.

  Dr. Kagan’s research and practice are centered around food allergy management, policy, and innovation through the lens of informatics and leadership. Her goal is to advance the knowledge and practice of nursing informatics, patient safety, and food allergy through research, education, and advocacy with the goal of improving health outcomes and quality of life for patients and communities.

  Dr. Kagan is the founder of the Food Allergy Nurses Interest Professional Group, an organization providing an educational forum for nurses interested in the subspecialty of food allergies and anaphylaxis. She is an active member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, serving on the organization’s Adverse Reactions to Foods; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Occupational Diseases; Health Informatics, Technology and Innovation; and Anaphylaxis and Adverse Effects committees. She also serves on the boards and committees of several other professional organizations, including the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. Dr. Kagan is the author or contributor to numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and textbooks, and is a frequently invited speaker at professional conferences. Her many professional contributions have been recognized with awards for her research, leadership, and service.

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  Olga Kagan, PhD, RN

  Consortial Faculty & Associate Adjunct Professor
  The City University of New York School of Professional Studies
  Adjunct Faculty
  Barbara H. Hagan School of Nursing & Health Sciences, Molloy University
  Principal
  Olga Kagan Health Care Consulting
  Founder
  Food Allergy Nurses Interest Group
  New York