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Allergy testing and sublingual immunotherapy that helps your child breathe easier and feel like themselves again.

For families watching their child push through another season of sneezing, itchy eyes, eczema flares, or asthma that won't quit, you deserve a provider who can test thoroughly, treat the root cause, and walk with you through care that actually lasts. At Balanced Kids, allergy testing and sublingual immunotherapy are available for children ages 2 and up across Minnesota.

La Crosse Method Protocol · Ages 2 and up · Needle-free, evidence-based care · La Crosse Method Protocol · Ages 2 and up · Needle-free, evidence-based care · La Crosse Method Protocol · Ages 2 and up · Needle-free, evidence-based care · La Crosse Method Protocol · Ages 2 and up · Needle-free, evidence-based care · La Crosse Method Protocol · Ages 2 and up · Needle-free, evidence-based care ·

how it points the way to lasting relief.

What allergy testing actually is &

A simple blood draw, not a scratch test.

Allergy testing at Balanced Kids is done through a single blood draw, processed through Quest using your child's insurance. The sample measures allergen-specific IgE, which shows how your child's immune system is responding to common environmental triggers like pollens, molds, dust mites, and animal dander.

Results that guide a personalized plan.

Knowing what your child reacts to is only half the picture. The real value of testing is that it points us toward a plan that actually fits, including whether sublingual immunotherapy makes sense as the next step. Every plan is built around your child's specific results, their symptoms, and the way allergies are showing up in their daily life. No two children leave with the same protocol.

Why sublingual immunotherapy works.

Sublingual immunotherapy, often called SLIT or allergy drops, is a needle-free treatment that retrains the immune system over time. Small doses of your child's specific allergens are placed under the tongue each day at home, and gradually the body becomes less reactive. It's called desensitization, and it treats the root cause of allergies instead of just managing the symptoms with daily medication.

Care that gets to the root, not just the runny nose.

A protocol with evidence behind it.

A daily ritual, not a weekly appointment.

Allergies rarely show up alone.

Sublingual immunotherapy at Balanced Kids follows the La Crosse Method protocol through Allergy Choices, one of the most studied and safety-focused SLIT frameworks in the country. 

Your child isn't a test case. They're getting a protocol with a long, well-documented track record

Once your child's custom drops are formulated, treatment happens at home. A small dose goes under the tongue each day, held for a minute or two, then swallowed. There are no weekly office visits, no shots, no waiting rooms. For most families, it becomes part of the morning routine, somewhere between brushing teeth and packing the lunchbox.

Allergy care rarely stands alone. Most consultations include conversations about sleep, gut health, environmental exposures, and the lifestyle pieces that influence how your child's immune system regulates itself day to day. SLIT is often the centerpiece of an allergy plan, but it's almost never the only piece, and the goal is always to support the whole child, not just the symptom list.

In-Office First Dose & Safety Monitoring

Your child's very first dose is given in our office, where they can be monitored for any reaction before treatment moves home. Side effects are usually mild and temporary, most often a little tingling or itching in the mouth, and serious reactions are rare. Starting in office is how we keep it that way.

Symptom Tracking & Outcome Monitoring

A simple framework for tracking your child's response over time, so we can see what's working, what isn't, and where the plan needs adjusting. SLIT is a long treatment, and the data we gather along the way is what makes it possible to refine confidently.

Education on the Immune System & Desensitization

A clear, science-based explanation of why your child reacts the way they do, how SLIT retrains the immune system over time, and what desensitization actually looks like in real life. Parents leave understanding the why, not just the what.

Allergy Testing & IgE Panel

A single blood draw, processed through Quest using your insurance, that measures your child's specific IgE response to common environmental allergens including pollens, molds, dust mites, and pet dander. Results return in just a few days and form the foundation of every plan.

Custom-Formulated SLIT Drops

Once we know what your child reacts to, a custom formula is prepared specifically for them. No off-the-shelf bottles, no generic protocols. Their drops are built around their results, their age, and the symptoms we're working to calm.

Build-Up & Maintenance Phase Guidance

SLIT works in two phases. A gradual build-up over the first few weeks gets your child to their target dose, and from there a steady maintenance phase continues for three to five years. I walk you through both, including what to expect, what's normal, and when to reach out.

What's included in allergy care at Balanced Kids

From the first conversation through years of follow-up, every piece of your child's allergy plan is built around their results, their symptoms, and the way allergies are showing up at home.

Here's what's included:

Initial allergy consultations are typically scheduled with time to review results, walk through next steps, and answer the questions that come up along the way. Follow-ups happen as needed to monitor progress and refine the plan.

That's why allergy testing and sublingual immunotherapy are part of the care I offer at Balanced Kids. For kids ages 2 and up, SLIT can calm allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, allergy-related eczema, chronic hives, and the kinds of persistent symptoms that medications alone never quite settle. Every plan starts with testing, every plan is built around your child specifically, and every plan is reviewed honestly. If SLIT isn't the right path, I'll tell you.






slit  was built to do something different.

If your child has pushed through season after season of allergy symptoms, tried the daily medications, missed school for sinus infections, or had eczema flares no one could quite explain, you already know that managing symptoms isn't the same as treating the cause.

Who sublingual immunotherapy can help

LESS REACTING. MORE LIVING. CARE THAT ACTUALLY GETS TO THE ROOT.

What to expect at Balanced Kids

AGE RANGE

From the first conversation through your child's first dose at home, here's how allergy care unfolds. Each step is built to give you time, answers, and a clear sense of what comes next.

We start with a conversation, not a test. I want to understand what your child is experiencing, what's already been tried, and what daily life looks like before we decide whether allergy testing is the right next step.

An initial visit to talk through symptoms.

Consultations are available for children and young adults ages 2–21.

If testing makes sense, your child has a single blood draw processed through Quest using your insurance. Results come back in just a few days, and they tell us exactly which environmental allergens are driving symptoms.

A simple blood draw for IgE testing.

Once results are in, we sit down to walk through them carefully. I'll explain what each finding means, how it connects to what you've been seeing at home, and whether sublingual immunotherapy is the right path forward.

A follow-up to review results together.

If SLIT is recommended, your child's drops are custom-formulated based on their specific results. The first dose is given in our office, where they can be safely monitored before treatment moves home.

Custom drops, with the first dose given in office.

From there, your child takes their drops daily at home, with follow-up visits scheduled to monitor progress, refine the plan, and make adjustments along the way. SLIT is a long treatment, and the check-ins are how we keep it working.

Daily treatment at home, with periodic check-ins.

Every step is paced around your family, not the schedule of a busy clinic. Questions are welcome at any point along the way.

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Transparent pricing, no surprises

Allergy care should be straightforward, including what it costs.

If you're weighing whether the Comprehensive Membership makes sense alongside allergy care, the Meet & Greet is a good place to talk through what fits your family best.
Service Cost
Initial Allergy Consultation $150
Blood Draw & IgE Testing Billed to insurance Processed at Quest
Custom Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) Drops $150 refilled approximately every 3 months

Ready for a thoughtful conversation about your child's allergies?

now's your time

If you've been searching for a pediatric provider who can test thoroughly, treat the root cause, and walk with you through the long arc of allergy care, I'd love to talk with your family. Schedule a consultation directly, or start with a free Meet & Greet to see if this is the right next step.

Custom multi-allergen SLIT drops, the kind formulated through the La Crosse Method, are considered off-label in the United States and are typically not covered by insurance. The blood draw and IgE testing portion of allergy care is billed through your insurance separately and processed at Quest. SLIT drops are an out-of-pocket cost, approximately $150 every three months. SLIT is also fully included for families enrolled in the Balanced Kids Comprehensive Membership.

Yes. Sublingual immunotherapy has been studied in children as young as age 2 and has a strong safety record. Side effects are usually mild and temporary, most often a little tingling or itching in the mouth. Serious allergic reactions are very rare and occur far less often than with allergy shots. For added safety, the very first dose is always given in our office where your child can be monitored before treatment continues at home.

Allergy shots, also called subcutaneous immunotherapy or SCIT, are given as injections at a clinic, usually weekly or every few weeks. SLIT is a daily liquid placed under the tongue at home. Both work by gradually retraining the immune system, but SLIT is needle-free, doesn't require regular office visits, and tends to be a better fit for kids who can't tolerate shots or whose schedules can't accommodate weekly clinic appointments. The La Crosse Method protocol I use is also one of the most studied approaches to SLIT in the country.

Not through this program. The SLIT drops formulated through the La Crosse Method are designed for environmental allergies like pollens, molds, dust mites, and animal dander. Food allergies are treated through different protocols, typically called oral immunotherapy or OIT, and are handled by allergists who specialize in food allergy treatment. If food allergies are part of your child's picture, I'm happy to talk through what kind of provider is the right fit.

Most children stay on SLIT for three to five years. Treatment starts with a build-up phase over the first few weeks, where the dose is gradually increased to a target maintenance level. From there, your child takes the drops daily through the maintenance phase. Many families notice symptom improvement within the first several months, but the full benefit comes from staying with the protocol long enough for the immune system to fully retrain.

common questions

What parents often ask about allergy testing and SLIT

A few of the questions that come up most often. If yours isn't answered here, the Meet & Greet is a good place to work through it together.

Send me a text at (651) 758-3184 anytime.