Blood test may spare kids from risky food allergy challenges

This study looked at whether a blood test called the basophil activation test (BAT) can accurately diagnose food allergies in children, potentially replacing the need for oral food challenges (OFCs) where kids eat the suspected food under medical supervision. Researchers tested 116 children aged 0-18 who were already scheduled for an OFC. The goal was to see if BAT results match OFC results well enough to replace at least half of those food challenges, making diagnosis safer and easier.