Aller-Vista Food Allergy Center
Less fear at the lunch table
Our Food Allergy Center helps children and adults with food allergy move from strict avoidance toward everyday protection. We use oral food challenges to confirm what is really an allergy, and oral immunotherapy (OIT) to raise the amount of food it takes to cause a reaction.
What oral immunotherapy is
In OIT, your child eats a tiny, precisely measured amount of the food they are allergic to every day. Every two weeks or so, the dose goes up a small step in our clinic, where our nurses watch for a reaction. Over months, the immune system learns to tolerate more.
The usual goal is to reach a daily maintenance dose that protects against an accidental bite, such as a shared snack at school or cross-contact at a restaurant. Some patients go further and add the food back to their diet. OIT is not a cure, and it is not right for everyone. That is why it starts with a careful evaluation.
Foods we treat
- Peanut
- Cashew and pistachio
- Walnut and pecan
- Almond and hazelnut
- Milk
- Egg
- Wheat
- Sesame
Ages
9 mo+
Early OIT for infants and toddlers, plus kids, teens and adults.
Up-dose visits
~2 wks
Each step up is given and observed in our clinic.
Daily dose
At home
A few minutes a day, mixed into a food your child likes.
Locations
2 clinics
Build-up in Arlington, maintenance in Arlington or Mansfield.
How the program works
Every family moves at a different pace. This is the typical path from first visit to maintenance.
Evaluation
Dr. Lindqvist reviews every past reaction, runs skin and blood tests, and talks through whether OIT is right for your child.
Oral food challenge
When results are unclear, we confirm the allergy with a supervised challenge in our clinic. Some children turn out not to be allergic at all.
Build-up
A first-dose day, then up-dose visits about every two weeks. Daily doses at home in between, with 24/7 nurse access.
Maintenance
Once the target dose is reached, daily dosing continues and visits drop to every few months, with retesting along the way.
Safety comes first, every day
Mild symptoms such as an itchy mouth or a stomachache are common during build-up and usually settle as the body adjusts. More serious reactions are possible, so every family leaves the first visit with a written dosing plan, two epinephrine auto-injectors and hands-on practice using them.
- Every dose increase is given in clinic and observed for about an hour
- Clear rules for dosing around exercise, illness, fever and hot showers
- A nurse line for questions about missed or held doses, day or night
- Letters and action plans for school, daycare and sports coaches
Emergency: if your child has trouble breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, repeated vomiting, or seems faint after a dose, use epinephrine right away and call 911.
The Food Allergy Center team
A pediatric allergist and dedicated OIT nurses who know your child by name.
Dr. Ingrid Lindqvist, MD
Pediatric allergist, director of the Food Allergy Center
She performs oral food challenges, leads the OIT program for peanut, tree nuts, milk, egg, wheat and sesame, and works with parents of infants on early allergen introduction. Families often mention how much time she spends on the plan for school and daycare.
Full profile- Jordan Pike, RNOIT program nurse. Runs up-dose days and the nurse line.
- Marisol Vega, RNImmunotherapy nurse lead. Bilingual teaching for families. English, Spanish
- Rania KhouryPatient care coordinator. Scheduling, school letters and estimates. English, Arabic
Cost and coverage
The program starts with an evaluation visit and, when needed, an oral food challenge. Build-up visits are priced per visit. Because every child’s path is different, our billing team checks your insurance and gives you a written estimate for the full build-up phase before you commit.
Interest-free monthly payment plans are available.
See pricingIs OIT a good fit?
- Your child has a confirmed IgE-mediated food allergy
- Your family can commit to a daily dose at a set time
- You can get to Arlington about every two weeks during build-up
- Asthma, if present, is well controlled
- Accidental exposures or fear of them are shaping daily life
Questions families ask about OIT
What age can my child start OIT?
We start early OIT in infants and toddlers from about 9 months of age, when the immune system tends to respond well. We also treat school-age children, teens and adults. Dr. Lindqvist will talk through timing with you at the evaluation, since the right age depends on the food, the reaction history and your family’s routine.
Is OIT a cure for food allergy?
No, and we will never describe it that way. OIT raises the amount of food it takes to cause a reaction. For most families, the goal is protection from accidental bites and less fear at school and restaurants. Some patients go on to eat the food freely, but results vary and daily dosing usually continues.
Can you treat more than one food at once?
Often, yes. Many of our patients are allergic to several foods, such as peanut and tree nuts, or milk and egg. After testing and challenges, we may combine foods into one daily dose or treat them one after another, depending on your child’s history and how build-up goes.
How much time does OIT take from our family?
Plan on a longer first-dose day, then an up-dose visit about every two weeks for several months, each with about an hour of observation. Daily doses at home take a few minutes, followed by a quiet rest period. Once on maintenance, clinic visits drop to every few months.
Does insurance cover OIT?
Coverage varies. Office visits and food challenges are often covered; some plans treat OIT build-up visits differently. Before you start, our billing team checks your benefits and gives you a written estimate for the full build-up phase, with interest-free payment plans if you need them.
Start with an evaluation
Book a Food Allergy Center visit with Dr. Lindqvist at our Arlington clinic. Bring any past test results and photos of reactions.