Purpose of review: Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has been shown to be safe and effective in children and is a unique treatment strategy that has disease-modifying and preventative effects that are not shared with other treatment options for allergic diseases. This article reviews the present knowledge and relevant updates on AIT in children.
Recent findings: Although there is no definite lower age limit for starting AIT, clear indications for AIT are established and each case should be considered individually by weighing risks and benefits. Documented short- and long-term benefits of AIT in children with allergic disease include significant improvement of symptoms and quality of life, and decreased use of medications as well as preventing the development of new allergen sensitizations and the progression of allergic rhinitis to asthma. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the present knowledge and key updates on AIT in the pediatric population.
Keywords: Allergen immunotherapy; Atopic disease; Children; Pediatric allergy; Preventative; Treatment.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.