What is the Atopic March?

We love treating infants and young children at Allergy Associates of La Crosse (AAOL) because we know the long-term benefit. Not only do they feel better, and you can worry less about them itching and wheezing, research also shows that intervening early can help to halt further progression of allergies and related conditions – called the atopic march.

The atopic march is the idea that underlying allergy can progress and develop into a variety of allergic conditions over the life of a child – as well as into adolescence and adulthood.

Atopic March

The atopic march can progress in so many ways, but here is an example of how providers often see this. The first sign of allergy in an infant is most often eczema, or atopic dermatitis, which can be caused by allergy. As they grow up, they go on to develop further allergic conditions like:

• Allergic rhinitis (seasonal allergies)
• Asthma
• Chronic ear and sinus infections
• Food allergies

One study showed that nearly 60% of children with allergic atopic dermatitis went on to develop asthma. Once the body is attuned to allergy, it’s prone to develop around that allergic sensitivity. 

Early Intervention

Providers at AAOL strongly believe in early intervention with allergy drops following The La Crosse Method™ Protocol to help stop the progression of allergies over time. By getting a handle on the underlying allergy early, it can help to prevent even more allergic issues later.

Treatment starts with a thorough history, exam, and allergy testing. These puzzle pieces come together to determine the foods and environmental allergens that your child is allergic to, and at what precise level. Allergy drops are created with tiny amount of these offending allergens and the liquid drops are placed under the tongue daily – which is great for kids, as no shots are needed.

Over time, the amount of allergen is slowly increased, so the body learns to interpret the substance and not respond with a reaction. The amount of allergen is big enough to help build tolerance, but small enough to not cause serious reactions.

Though treatment time is typically three to five years, the results are long-lasting, as the body remembers that the allergens are harmless. This early intervention can certainly halt future allergic issues and has shown to do so through research at AAOL and internationally. Of 241 pediatric patients  surveyed after varying lengths of treatment at AAOL, only 10 (4.1%) post-treatment asthma cases were reported, which was significantly lower than expected and lower than industry data—as much as 70%. This study was done among children who had key markers that indicate these conditions would develop later in life.

Allergy drops have proven to be an effective option to keep kids (and adults!) healthy and safe. If you’re interested in how allergy drops could impact your child, reach out to AAOL to schedule a consult.