Fredericksburg Parent

18 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • March 2021 Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt Q: What is exciting to you about the field of allergy medicine? I did my pediatric residency at the University at Buffalo, N.Y., which was the first exposure I had to allergy and immunology. Having rotated with several immunologists and allergists, it really opened my eyes to the field and I instantly fell in love with it. The immune system is highly complex and requires a multitude of checks and balances. When the fine balance is lost disease can develop. Such as the chase with an underactive or poorly func- tioning immune system will often lead to recurrent infections and immunodeficiency. On the other hand, an overactive immune system can lead to allergies and autoimmune disease. Over the past few decades, we have seen so much advanced research in these fields. We are identifying new ways to treat diseases that are tied to problems with the immune system with modalities such as gene therapy and bone marrow transplant. Our understanding of the mechanisms behind these conditions has grown, and it is helping us to target food allergy and other conditions in a lot of different ways. INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING Q: What is new in our under- standing of how food allergy works, especially in children? In the early '90s and 2000s, the recom- mendation was to hold off on intro- ducing potentially allergic foods until children were much older. During that time, we saw a significant increase in the number of food allergies, particu- larly peanut allergies. From 2005 to 2015, the prevalence of peanut allergy among children in Western countries actually doubled, according to a piv- otal study known as the Learning Early About Peanuts—or LEAP—Trial. The LEAP Trial showed us that children who were introduced to peanuts earlier in life were becoming less allergic to these foods. Now the pendulum has swung in the other direction and we are urg- ing early introduction—between 4 to 6 months of age—with age-appropriate foods to limit the development of food allergy. Irina Dawson, MD, joined the team at Allergy Partners of Fredericksburg in October 2020, after completing her fellowship in adult and pediatric allergy and immunology at the University of South Florida-Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL. Dr. Dawson was drawn to Fredericksburg when her husband, a Marine judge advocate, was stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico. She was drawn to the field of allergy medicine because of her fascination with the immense complexity of the body's immune system. As our March Expert, Dr. Dawson offers her knowledge on food allergies and other related issues parents may be wondering about. Irina Dawson, MD Trusted Advice for All Kinds of Allergy Questions

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