Katie Gazella - ANN ARBOR, MI – The rapid proliferation of children developing allergies to foods – such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk and more – has led the University of Michigan Health System to open a new clinic that will include a focus on the problem.  The new clinic at Domino’s Farms in north Ann Arbor offers an expansion of food allergy services previously provided by U-M experts.

The Allergy Specialty Clinic and Food Allergy Clinic will be a regional allergy center where patients can be treated for a variety of conditions, including food allergies, a specialty of many of the physicians at the clinic.

“The number of patients we see with food allergies has risen dramatically in recent years, and we are expanding our services as a way of meeting those growing needs,” says Marc McMorris, M.D., medical director of the clinics and clinical associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics.

McMorris notes that the clinic “combines local care with nationally recognized experts.” Both children and adults will be treated by the specialists.

The center includes a specialty kitchen for the preparation of foods that commonly cause allergic reactions, negative-pressure rooms to ensure that food smells do not travel throughout the clinic, and an educational room with access to specialized information. Nutritionists who specialize in food allergies will assist families in devising menus to prevent allergic reactions.

For more information about the clinic, visit www.med.umich.edu/foodallergy/ or call 734-647-5940 or 1-888-229-2409.