Childhood food allergies: 'It was scary how quickly he became so ill'

CUH has an international reputation for its treatment of childhood food allergies. We talk to a consultant allergist and a parent whose child has benefited from the specialist care at the hospital 

Ruairi Shanahan was aged three when he had his first allergic reaction to peanuts. Picture: Patrick Browne

CHILDHOOD food allergies are on the rise globally, which means that a growing number of children are attending consultations at Cork University Hosptial.  

"An allergy is the body’s immune response to a specific food,” says Dr Juan Trujillo, a consultant paediatric allergist at CUH.