title: Sublingual immunotherapy in preschool children: an update.
abstract: Allergen immunotherapy is a subject widely debated by allergists. Currently, there are controversial discussions focused on the sublingual route. Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has so far been used in Europe, Asia and Australia for the treatment of allergic respiratory diseases. The minimum age to start specific immunotherapy with inhalant allergens in children has not been clearly established, and position papers discourage its use in children younger than 5 years of age. Nevertheless, it is known that SLIT efficacy is higher when SLIT is started at an earlier age. The aim of this review is to focus on studies in preschool children evaluating SLIT safety and efficacy, in order to improve this practice at an earlier age in childhood.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Complex Operative Unit and Pediatric Emergency Care, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. giovitaliti@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitaliti
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pavone
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guglielmo
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Falsaperla
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D001208:Asia; D001315:Australia; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*