Food Allergy Center
A program of North Shore University Hospital
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About us
The Food Allergy Center, part of Cohen Children’s Medical Center and the Northwell Health Allergy and Immunology Division, serves patients of any age with any food allergy—including multiple, severe or unusual food allergies; atopic dermatitis triggered by foods; and other food-associated disorders. The center is also a resource for adults and children with allergies to common foods including milk, eggs, wheat and peanuts. We encourage physicians to reach out to us for a one-time consultation or ongoing support.
Conditions we treat
Our seven board-certified allergists, dietitians, nurses and support staff see approximately 1,500 patients annually. Conditions we treat include:
- IgE-mediated food allergies that can cause anaphylactic reactions
- Non IgE-mediated food allergies, including gastrointestinal disorders such as eosinophilic esophagitis and food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome
- Food antigen-associated diseases, including proctocolitis and atopic dermatitis
We also specialize in preventing and treating peanut allergies. Infants with eczema or an egg allergy, both of which may indicate a risk for developing a peanut allergy, should be brought in for a consultation to explore the possibility of careful, early introduction to peanuts, which may help prevent a future allergy. For patients who have already developed a peanut allergy, we perform oral desensitization as a part of the recently FDA-approved oral immunotherapy (OIT) process.
What to expect
At the initial appointment, your doctor will take a comprehensive medical history and perform a physical exam followed by skin and/or blood tests to pinpoint the cause of the allergy. We then develop a treatment plan and provide information about modified diets. Depending on your child’s unique needs, we may refer you to a nutritionist, gastroenterologist, dermatologist or other specialist who can provide additional support, such as identifying appropriate food substitutes. We maintain open communication with your referring physician and work with them to help manage food allergies in a collaborative, multidisciplinary and comprehensive way.
Dedication to research
Our center participates in clinical research trials, including an ongoing study on oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy, and use of biologic medications for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis. We are part of the Food Allergy Research and Education Clinical Network and are a national Center of Excellence.
We aim to go beyond purely clinical expertise to include basic science research and education in food allergy to the community, health care providers and patients. The Rodolitz Center is the basic research component of the Food Allergy Center, which includes a basic science component at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Our current projects include studying the effect of the microbiome on both IgE-mediated food allergy to milk, egg and peanut as well as eosinophilic esophagitis. We have several ongoing educational sessions within the Northwell and Long Island communities and offer support groups for patients to explore.
Our team
