The natural history of allergic disease in children.

Optimal care of allergic children requires certain knowledge on the part of parents, primary physicians and allergists. One needs to be familiar with not only the mechanisms of allergic disease, the factors which may potentiate or "turn on" allergic symptoms in children of allergic families, but also the natural history of the commonest allergic syndromes in infancy and children. If a physician is thus prepared he can be of significant help in the prevention, amelioration and prognostication of the future course of allergic disease in children.