Dr Kalomoira Kefala, Paediatric Allergist

Since 2017, I have been practising in Paris as a paediatric allergist.

I provide the exploration, treatment and follow-up of allergic and respiratory conditions in infants, children and adolescents.

I manage the full range of allergic conditions in children, exploring both respiratory and food allergies. I also practise allergen immunotherapy (desensitization) for children with multiple allergies.

I founded the Paediatric and Adolescent Allergy Clinic in Paris, where I draw on my clinical and research experience to help allergic patients and ease the burden of their allergies.

Training & Research

I hold a Master of Science in Medical Research Methodology, worth 120 European credits.

My doctoral thesis focused on the tuberculin index in children.

I subsequently specialised in Paediatric Pulmonology and Allergology, training in Belgium, France and England.

I hold a HERMES diploma in spirometry from the European Respiratory Society (ERS) — a two-year programme with final examinations in Germany.

The causes and treatment of respiratory distress, as well as allergies in infants and children, are my main areas of scientific interest. I have publications across numerous fields related to Immunology and Allergy, as well as Respiratory and Sleep Medicine (Infectious Diseases, Haematology-Immunology, Paediatric Dermatology, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, and Neonatal Intensive Care).

I regularly present my work at the congresses of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), the European Respiratory Society (ERS), and the European and World Sleep Societies (eSleep and World Sleep Society).

Published Books

I have published numerous books for patients living with allergies ("Doctor, Why Am I Allergic?"), translated into many languages. Clinical research — internal and observational (cohort-based), grounded in the follow-up of my own patients — has become part of my daily work, and I have progressively integrated it into my practice to improve care.

Work on Eczema and Contact Allergies

My work with patients suffering from eczema helped me effectively identify a child with an antiseptic allergy presenting facial oedema, as well as children reacting to excipients in antiseptics and cosmetics. This work has been published in the Revue Française d'Allergologie, with a further part published in the international journal Pediatric Dermatology.

Neonatal Intensive Care and Neonatology

I worked for many years in a neonatal intensive care unit. As a result, I have experience treating severe respiratory distress and applying non-invasive ventilation, and I hold a sub-specialisation in neonatology.

My training in paediatric allergology-pulmonology and my work in intensive care, treating children with respiratory distress and sometimes congenital malformations, allowed me to deepen my knowledge of respiratory distress and the use of ventilation modes in children. My training in immunology-haematology and infectious diseases broadened my knowledge of paediatric allergology.

Early Prevention of Allergies and Comorbidities

I aim to identify allergies and asthma early, to halt their progression and prevent the onset of comorbidities such as obesity and attention/hyperactivity neurodevelopmental disorders.

In this context, I have worked to distinguish obstructive-type sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) in children from non-obstructive OSAHS.

Sleep Disorders in the Allergic Child

I have completed several international training programmes on sleep apnoea and regularly attend courses run by the European Respiratory Society and the European and World Sleep Societies.

I presented two patients who were successfully diagnosed and treated in the e-learning programme of the European Respiratory Society.

In parallel, I have presented and published on the specific characteristics of allergic children with sleep apnoea, who show a distinct profile from children with obstructive-type OSAHS, as well as the link with asthma and obesity. This work has helped treat allergic children early and prevent the progression of inflammatory diseases.

I have studied and published on the role of increased respiratory effort during sleep in relation to allergies, asthma and obesity. Measuring respiratory effort at night helps improve children's sleep on a day-to-day basis.

In this context, I perform outpatient polygraphy and polysomnography to accurately identify the profile of children with sleep disorders, in order to treat and refer them appropriately.

A Comprehensive, Personalised Approach

My broad-ranging knowledge and experience help me treat allergic children while taking full account of their comorbidities and associated medical conditions, such as obesity and ADHD.

I have experience in parenteral nutrition and in the care of infants with severe oral disorders requiring specific nutritional needs, as well as in facilitating their oral feeding.

I place particular importance on personalised treatment. I am equally mindful of the role that exposure to certain factors plays in the development of allergies, asthma and inflammatory diseases.