British South Asian mothers' experiences of seeking help for their food allergic child.

Initial evaluation of the Yorkshire based Itchy, Sneezy, Wheezy project which aimed to improve the delivery of allergy care to children based in Sheffield found children from South Asian families were referred to the specialist community clinic at an older age than white Caucasian children with the presence of more atopic conditions. Clinical staff at Sheffield Children's Hospital (SCH) specialist paediatric allergy services also observed that children from South Asian families often present later than Caucasian children. Whilst the reasons behind this are unclear the clinical implications of delayed access to specialist care are evident; disease is already established and there is greater potential for atopic sensitisation and long-term poorer outcomes particularly if opportunities for early intervention are missed.