FAQs for families

At Latitude, our clinics are 100% focused on food allergy. Our board-certified allergists are all specially trained and deeply experienced in food allergy treatment and care. And our clinics provide quick access to important testing and treatment options, including oral food challenges. 

• We are affiliated with UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians, a world-class network.
• Food Challenge Availability — our clinical model enables us to offer quicker access to food challenges, often within less than two weeks of an initial testing appointment. 
• We offer treatment with oral immunotherapy (OIT) for single and multiple foods, for children as young as 12 months old and adults.
• Our treatment program is built on evidence-based protocols and important elements to ensure safety and compliance, including our mobile App, that allows for real-time clinical monitoring of at-home dosing. 
• Our team of Patient Care Coordinators (PCC) provide their personal experience with food allergies and OIT and are here to support you.

You may have many questions as you navigate your choices for food allergy care. With your very first call to Latitude, our team is here to help you determine if our practice is the right fit for you. We are here for you when:  

• You suspect that you (or your child) have a food allergy, and you’re seeking an accurate diagnosis and want to understand your treatment options.  
• You or your child has been diagnosed with food allergies.
• Your baby has eczema and you need to determine if a food allergy exists.
• Your baby is at higher risk of developing a food allergy, and you are seeking early food introduction in the interest of prevention.

We have multiple clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York. As we grow, we welcome families from outside of the area and will personalize their care plan to accommodate the logistics of travel.

Please call us at (888) 528-1592 or contact us to make an appointment.

Yes. We accept in-network PPO insurance with a wide variety of insurance carriers including Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, CIGNA, Health Net, and UnitedHealthcare. We also accept certain HMO plans. Our insurance page  includes the information that you may need to verify if our providers are in network with your specific plan. Please call (888) 528-1592 if you have specific insurance questions. 

Food allergy is an immune system reaction that occurs soon after eating a certain food. Even a tiny amount of the reaction-causing food can trigger signs and symptoms such as digestive problems, hives or swollen airways. This happens because the immune system overreacts to the proteins in that food. While a person can be allergic to any food, the nine most common allergens are cow’s milk, egg, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, sesame, and tree nuts.

Anaphylaxis is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction and can present with wheezing, chest tightness or trouble breathing, loss of consciousness, or feeling faint.

If two of the following symptoms occur, consider anaphylaxis and inject epinephrine, and seek emergency care:

• Hives — Rash, or red, itchy skin
• Stuffy or itchy nose, sneezing, or itchy and teary eyes
• Vomiting, stomach cramps or diarrhea
• Angioedema or swelling
• Hoarseness, throat tightness or a lump in the throat

FARE has an excellent list of words children may use to describe a food allergy reaction that can be found here.

Many parents have heard that early introduction of allergenic foods (within the first year of life) helps to prevent food allergy later in life. There are several studies suggesting that early introduction of peanut and egg improves a child’s chance of not having allergies to those foods later in life. In particular, early introduction of egg and peanut is recommended for infants at risk of developing food allergy (at-risk criteria include moderate-severe eczema requiring prescription creams/ointments, as well as existing food allergy). Many allergists have extrapolated from these data, and recommend introducing all types of allergenic foods, such as tree nuts, sesame, wheat, cows milk, and seafood during the first year of life. Note that this recommendation is not yet supported by clinical trials, and may not have as protective of an effect as early introduction of egg and peanut. Early introduction of these foods does not prevent all food allergies, and it is still possible to develop food allergies despite efforts to include them in the diet early in life.

We realize how important it is for patients and their families to understand food allergies and treatment options, and to learn about current research and relevant information. Latitude provides tools for the food allergy community including:

• Latitude Online Community — this private Facebook group is available for Latitude patients and other food allergy community members and advocates. Participants are encouraged to ask questions and find support in this safe space.  
• Latitude Email Newsletter — join our email list for food allergy news, community events and Latitude updates. 

We also encourage you to follow us and join our conversation about all aspects of food allergies on Facebook and Instagram.

Additional recommended resources include: 

• FARE — Food Allergy Research and Education
• AAAAI — American Academy of Allergies & Immunology
• ACAAI — American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
• FAACT — Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team
• The Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University
• Allergic Living
• Food Allergy Treatment Talk 
• The Food Allergy Counselor Directory
• SnackSafely

Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) — a process that regularly exposes the patient to increasing amounts of the foods they are allergic to, with the goal of desensitizing the body and protecting against anaphylaxis secondary to accidental exposures.

OIT is not a cure for food allergies. It is a desensitization. In order to maintain desensitization, a patient needs to continue to eat the foods they have been desensitized to on a regular basis.

Research shows that OIT is approximately 85% effective when supervised by an expert care team who specialize in food allergy treatment. At Latitude, 92% of our OIT patients have successfully achieved maintenance. While there are a small number of clinical reasons a patient may need to stop therapy, those who do not complete the OIT process primarily pause treatment due to the time commitment or other lifestyle demands.

Children who are treated at very young ages often have very successful outcomes  — potentially benefiting from a more flexible immune system and avoiding much of the emotional impact of food allergies. Younger patients tend to have less anxiety and less taste aversion associated with their doses, which often helps the process go smoothly. At Latitude, we will begin treatment as young as 12 months old. 

Patients generally come into the clinic for an “updose” visit every two weeks during several months of active treatment. These appointments may be spread out over a longer period based on the patient’s clinical and practical needs.

It generally takes between 6-12 months of active treatment before a patient reaches maintenance. During maintenance, daily dosing is continued at the same level for the long-term. 

It is possible to have an allergic reaction while going through OIT. The goal is to have you progress through your treatment at a very slow and safe pace to reduce the risk of reaction.

Yes, we treat multiple foods that you are allergic to at the same time. If you are interested in the published research supporting treating multiple allergens at the same time, we recommend the links here:

• A Phase 2 Randomized Controlled Multisite Study Using Omalizumab-facilitated Rapid Desensitization to Test Continued vs Discontinued Dosing in Multifood Allergic Individuals, The Lancet 2019
• Feasibility of sustained response through long-term dosing in food allergy immunotherapy, Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology 2017
• Observational long-term follow-up study of rapid food oral immunotherapy with omalizumab, Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology 2017
• Anti-IgE treatment with oral immunotherapy in multifood allergic participants: a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial, Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2018
• Multiple-allergen oral immunotherapy improves quality of life in caregivers of food-allergic pediatric subjects, Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology 2017

While there are some underlying medical conditions that may preclude treatment, most patients can be treated with oral immunotherapy. We provide OIT for adults and patients as young as 12 months old. Before embarking on OIT, our specialized providers will discuss the benefits and risks with you, and address the following: 

• Clarifying diagnosis to verify the current list of allergies
• Reaction history
• Emotional readiness of the patient and family
• Ability to incorporate therapy into your lifestyle
• Expectations and measures of success

Yes, you can safely be treated with OIT even if you have had severe allergic reactions in the past. Safety is our number one priority, and our entire team is trained to handle adverse reactions.

Yes, while focused on food allergy, our clinicians take extra steps with each visit to our office to ensure that asthma and other allergic conditions are well-controlled. We encourage direct communication between our clinicians and your other doctors to ensure these other conditions are monitored.

Xolair (omalizumab) is an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody by Genentech and Novartis that works by inhibiting the allergic reaction process. On February 16, 2024, it was approved by the FDA for the reduction of food allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people with food allergies. It is also FDA approved for use in children over age 6 with asthma and in children over age 12 with chronic urticaria (hives). At Latitude, we offer Xolair in conjunction with OIT to increase safety for some patients. If our allergist prescribes this medication for you, our patient care team will work with you and your insurance plan to understand your coverage and any out-of-pocket costs before proceeding with treatment.

Our clinicians will carefully review your food allergy care options with you to determine the best personalized plan for you and your family. Other treatment options may include evaluating other forms of food allergy immunotherapy including SLIT, working with a Registered Dietitian on related nutrition issues, or a referral to another specialist to address underlying medical conditions such as a gastroenterologist or a general allergist.  

Most of the services we provide are covered by insurance. For example, our initial diagnostic visits and follow up office visits are typically covered. If we determine that oral immunotherapy is the right treatment plan for you, office visit costs will be covered by your insurance, but there is a one-time program fee — only applicable to oral immunotherapy patients — that is considered a non-covered service and therefore not billable to insurance. Payment plans are available for the program fee and it is often FSA- or HSA-eligible. If you are considering treatment, please call us for more details.

We welcome your questions at (888) 528-1592, [email protected], or via our contact form.