Children, Teens & Families
Pediatric Allergy, Asthma & Immune System Care
Children have unique needs that are best addressed by a pediatric allergy/immunology specialist. Our Allergists are trained and board-certified in Pediatrics as well as Allergy and Immunology — so a child and family can grow up with us.
727-397-8557No child is too young for an evaluation
Board-Certified in Pediatrics, Not Just Comfortable With Kids
Trained in Pediatrics
Dr. Mandel Sher completed residency at Duke University Medical Center and at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he served as Chief Resident, and holds certification from the American Board of Pediatrics in addition to the American Board of Allergy & Immunology.
Food Allergy & OIT
Dr. Johana Castro Wagner has a special interest in food allergies, eczema, hives, and pediatric allergy and asthma, and leads our Oral Immunotherapy Clinic for Food including Peanut Allergy. She is fluent in Spanish and English.
Never Too Young
Allergy and immune testing can be accurately performed even in the first months of life. We are happy to demonstrate testing on parents, so a nervous child can watch it happen to an adult first.
Conditions We Treat in Children & Teens
When Should Your Child See a Pediatric Allergist?
Common reasons
- Runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing or coughing with no exposure to viral illness
- Multiple ear, sinus or lung infections in a year
- Breathing trouble, persistent cough or exercise intolerance
- Infections requiring multiple antibiotics
Also
- Vomiting, diarrhea or rash after eating
- Possible drug allergies to antibiotics or other medications
- Chronic hives or eczema that keep coming back
- Sudden reactions such as anaphylaxis
Testing & Treatment for Young Patients
Testing
- Allergy skin testing, essentially painless and usually completed at the first visit
- Allergen-specific IgE blood testing
- Oral food challenges, supervised by a board-certified Allergist
- Spirometry (lung function testing) and FeNO
- Rhinoscopy
Treatment
- Allergy shots (subcutaneous immunotherapy)
- Food Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) for peanut allergy
- Lifestyle, medical and environmental management and control
Questions Parents Ask
How young is too young for allergy testing?
Allergy and immune testing can be accurately performed even in the first months of life, so there is no age at which a child is too young to benefit from an allergy consultation. What changes with age is which tests make sense and how the visit is structured — that is exactly the judgment a pediatric-trained allergist brings.
My child is terrified of needles. What does skin testing feel like?
Skin testing is essentially painless, is administered quickly, and children remain comfortable during the testing. It is not an injection with a syringe. We are also happy to demonstrate the testing on a parent first, which settles most children faster than any explanation does. At Sher Allergy Specialists, your allergy skin tests are personally measured and read by a physician or physician assistant, with physician oversight and interpretation, rather than simply recorded by a technician or medical assistant for later review.
Will my child outgrow this?
Some allergic, asthma, sinus and immune conditions may be outgrown as your child ages, but many may last a lifetime. Some food allergies developed in childhood, such as cow’s milk and egg, can be outgrown, while peanut, tree nut and shellfish allergies can last a lifetime. It is never safe to assume a food allergy has been outgrown — children with a documented food allergy should be re-tested rather than tested at the dinner table.
The pediatrician keeps treating ear infections. When does that become an allergy question?
When there are multiple ear, sinus or lung infections in a year, when infections require multiple antibiotics, or when they come with poor growth or weight loss. Immune deficiency disorders may not be suspected until exactly that pattern becomes a concern, and recurrent ear infections are on the list of conditions our pediatric team evaluates.
Can you help with the school’s forms and emergency plan?
Yes — that is a normal part of pediatric allergy care. After your visit, your allergist also sends a letter to your primary care or referring doctor so everyone caring for your child is working from the same diagnosis and plan. Bring the school’s paperwork to the appointment.
Does my child have to switch doctors when they turn eighteen?
Not here. Because we are adult and pediatric Allergists/Immunologists, a child and family can grow up with us and be expertly managed within our practice as they transition from childhood to adulthood.
Growing Up With Us
Because we are adult and pediatric Allergists/Immunologists, a child and family can grow up with us and be expertly managed within our practice as they transition from childhood to adulthood.