Improving Quality of Life with Allergy Treatment

Allergies can significantly affect children's quality of life. From the persistent troubles of eczema to the scary flares of asthma, these problems can keep kids from exploring the outdoors or trying out new activities they may enjoy.

Samantha Minnicozzi, MD, became a pediatric allergist and immunologist after she struggled with these problems growing up. Knowing that there are effective therapies that can truly help children motivated her specialty choice, and seeing the direct impact of care is one of her favorite things about specialty care.

At UVA Health Children's, she offers specialty help for children with asthma, eczema, and food allergies, including a multidisciplinary care program for children with Alpha-gal, a tick-borne illness that causes sudden allergy to mammalian products like meat or dairy.

What made you decide to focus on pediatric allergies?  

I had asthma, eczema, and significant seasonal allergies myself growing up, and remember how frustrating this was when it came to playing outdoors, and symptom control. Knowing there are therapies that can help improve a child’s quality of life and play outside when these conditions can be so limiting is what sparked my interest in a career in Allergy and Immunology.  

What’s your favorite thing about practicing as a specialist?  

The longitudinal care. I love seeing these kids and their caregivers regularly and often and building these long standing relationships, as well as the impact this can have in improving a patient and their family’s quality of life. 

How can referring providers help their patients identify allergies early? 

Particularly for food allergy, early food (allergenic) introduction into an infant’s diet can lead to earlier identification and referral. Oral immunotherapy, which is safer and more effective the younger it is initiated, can be game-changing for patients and their families. 

What risk factors should referring providers be on the lookout for?  

For food allergy referral, any child with eczema is at high risk for a food allergy. However, many children never have any skin findings or eczema and still go on to develop a food allergy. That is why we are such big advocates for early introduction (between 4-6 months of age) for allergenic foods such as peanut, egg, milk, wheat, etc. 

What’s something about your specialty you wish every referring provider knew? 

Currently at the University of Virginia – we have many multidisciplinary clinics, including one for alpha-gal allergy with myself, Barrett Barnes, MD, and our Pediatric Nutritionist, Tegan Medico.

In our combined clinic we help optimize patients' overall nutritional goals while needing to avoid either mammalian meat, dairy, or even most mammalian products. Many of our patients seen in this clinic are appreciative of our ability to simultaneously see them with three different providers and offer our expertise, and improve their quality of life with a unified plan of care. 

What’s one thing that every primary care doctor could start doing today to help their patients? 

For patients with eczema, especially those with more widespread flares, be generous with topical steroids. I'd also tell them to please call us directly if the wait for an appointment seems onerous. We know how significant eczema can be, especially when impacting an infant's or child's comfort level, disrupting sleep, and/or limiting the diet. We can usually help facilitate an earlier appointment.  

When should providers refer their patients for allergy and immunology care?  

Anytime there are concerns about asthma, food allergies, environmental allergies like hay fever, and the families are interested in our help or guidance on further treatment, or even just identifying the underlying triggers. 

What’s your approach to working with referring providers? 

We appreciate and try to work as cohesively with our collaborating community providers as best as possible, including sending a copy of our note at the completion of a visit, highlighting a clear treatment plan. We rely on our referring providers for their expertise.