Vlieg & Melse Dietitians

Gezond van Vlieg en Melse

Dr.Berber Vlieg-Boerstra graduated as a dietician in 1984. She has a long standing interest in food allergy. Since 1987, she has been working as a dietician in private practice in the field of food allergy. Her scientific career started in 2001 at the Beatrix Children’s Hospital of the University Medical Centre Groningen, where she has been working on a doctorate thesis on double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFCs) in children. In 2008 she completed her PhD. Since then, she has been working as a post doctoral research dietitian at the University Medial Centre Groningen, and since May 2010 at the Emma Children’s Hospital, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam. Topics of research included among others food challenges in children, nutritional aspects of food allergy, (hypo)allergenic apple cultivars (Isafruit), quality of life in food allergy (Europrevall), eliciting doses of food allergens in DBPCFCs in both children and adults, and the development and implementation of a national guideline for the diagnosis of cow’s milk allergy in the Netherlands.

She participated in more than 25 international scientific publications and in numerous national and international book chapters, workshops and seminars for patients, dieticians, physicians, and other health care professionals. As the only postgraduate dietitian with a specialty of food allergy in the Netherlands, she is one of the leading dietitians in the field. Since 2009 she is the chair of the recently initiated International Network for Diet and Nutrition in Allergy (INDANA). She is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board on Allergenic ingredients and Food Hypersensitivity (LeDa), as well as a member of a national network for dietitians in food allergy.

References
  • Jansen JJ, Kardinaal AF, Huijbers G, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Martens BP, Ockhuizen T. Prevalence of food allergy and intolerance in the adult Dutch population. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1994;93:446-56
  • Huijbers GB, Cohen AA, Janssen JJ, Kardinaal AF, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Martens BP. Masking foods for food challenge: practical aspects of masking foods for a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge. J Am Diet Assoc 1994;94:645-9.
  • Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Bijleveld CM, van der Heide S, Beusekamp BJ, Wolt-Plompen SA, Kukler J, Brinkman J, Duiverman EJ, Dubois AEJ. Development and validation of challenge materials for double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges in children. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2004;113:341-6.
  • Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Dubois AEJ. Published recipes for double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges. Allergy 2005;60:1212.
  • Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, van der Heide S, Oude Elberink JN, Kluin-Nelemans JC, Dubois AEJ. Mastocytosis and adverse reactions to biogenic amines and histamine-releasing foods: what is the evidence? Neth J Med 2005 ;63:244-9.
  • Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, van der Heide S, Bijleveld CMA, Kukler J, Duiverman EJ , Wolt-Plompen SAA, and Dubois AEJ. Dietary assessment in children adhering to a food allergen avoidance diet for allergy prevention. Eur J Clin Nutr 2006;60:1384-1390.
  • Asero R, Ballmer-Weber BK, Beyer K, Conti A, Dubakiene R, Fernandez-Rivas M et al. IgE-mediated food allergy diagnosis: Current status and new perspectives. Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 2007;51:135-47.
  • de Blok BM, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Oude Elberink JN, Duiverman EJ, DunnGalvin A, Hourihane JO, et al. A framework for measuring the social impact of food allergy across Europe: a EuroPrevall state of the art paper. Allergy 2007;62:733-7.
  • Brand PLP, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Dubois AEJ. Dietary prevention of allergic disease in children: are current recommendations really based on good evidence?. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2007;18:475-9.
  • Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, van der Heide S, Bijleveld CMA , Kukler J, Duiverman EJ, Dubois AEJ. Placebo reactions in double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges in children. Allergy 2007;62:905-12
  • Kootstra HS, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Dubois AEJ. Assessment of the reduced allergenic properties of the Santana apple. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2007;99:522-5.
  • Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Dubois AEJ, van der Heide S, Bijleveld SMA, Wolt-Plompen SAA, Oude Elberink JNG, Kukler J, Venter C, Jansen DF, and Duiverman EJ. Ready-to-use introduction schedules for first exposure to major allergenic foods in children at home. Allergy 2008;63:903-9.
  • Flokstra-de Blok BM, DunnGalvin A, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Oude Elberink JN, Duiverman EJ, Hourihane JO, Dubois AE. Development and validation of self-administered Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire for adolescents. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2008;122:139-44,e1-2.
  • Vlieg-Boerstra BJ , Duiverman EJ , van der Heide S, Bijleveld CMA , Kukler J, Dubois AEJ. Should children with a history of anaphylaxis to foods undergo challenge testing? Clin Exp Allergy 2008;38:1935-42.
  • Flokstra-de Blok BM, Dunngalvin A, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Oude Elberink JN, Duiverman EJ, Hourihane JO, Dubois AE. Development and validation of a self-administered Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire for children. Clin Exp Allergy 2009;39:127-37.
  • Van der Velde JL, Flokstra-de Blok BM, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Oude Elberink JN, Schouten JP, Dunngalvin A, Hourihane JO, Duiverman EJ, Dubois AE. Test-retest reliability of the Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaires (FAQLQ) for children, adolescents and adults Qual Life Res. 2009;18:245-51.
  • Flokstra-de Blok BM, van der Meulen GN, Dunngalvin A, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Oude Elberink JN, Duiverman EJ, Hourihane JO, Dubois AE. Development and validations of Food Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire – Adult Form. Allergy. 2009;64:1209-1217.
  • K. Grimshaw et al. Infant feeding and allergy prevention: A review of current knowledge and recommendations. A EuroPrevall State of the Art paper. Allergy 2009;64:1407-1416.
  • Flokstra-de Blok BM, Dubois AE, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Oude Elberink JN, Raat H, Dunngalvin A, Hourihane JO, Duiverman EJ. Health-related quality of life of food allergic patients: Comparison with other diseases and the general population. Allergy 2010;65:238-44.
  • Van der Velde JL, Flokstra-de Blok BM, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Oude Elberink JN, Dunngalvin A, Hourihane JO, Duiverman EJ, Dubois AE. Development, validity and reliability of the food allergy independent measure (FAIM). Allergy 2009;65:630-5.
  • Flokstra-de Blok BM, Oude Elberink JN, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Dubois AE Measurig health-related quality of life: fundamental methodological issues. Clin Exp Allergy 2009; 39(11):1774; author reply 1175.
  • Flokstra-de Blok BM, van der Velde JL, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Duiverman EJ, Dubois AE. Health-related quality of life of food allergic patients measured with generic and disease-specific questionnaires. Allergy 2010; 65:1031-8.
  • Madsen CB, Crevel R, Chan CH, Dubois AE, DunnGalvin A, Flokstra-de Blok BM, Gowland MH, Hattersley S, Hourihane JO, Nørhede P, Pfaff S, Rowe G, Schnadt S, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ. Food allergy: stakeholder perspectives on acceptable risk. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2010 Jul-Aug;57(2-3):256-65.
  • De Jong NW, van Maaren MS, Vlieg-Boerstra BJ, Dubois AEJ, de Groot H, Gerth van Wijk R. Sensitization to lupin flour: Is it clinically relevant? Clin Exp Allergy 2010 April 13
  • B.J. Vlieg-Boerstra, van de Weg WE, van der Heide S, Arens P, Kerkhof M, Dubois AE. Identification of low allergenic apple culitvars using skin prick tests and oral food challenges. Allergenicity of 75 apple cultivars as assessed by prick-to-prick skin prick tests and oral food challenges. Allergy. Published on line
  • B. J. Vlieg-Boerstra, I. Herpertz, S. van der Heide, J Kukler, C Jansink, W.Vaessen, B.J. Beusekamp, A.E.J Dubois. Validation of novel recipes for double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges in children and adults. Allergy. Accepted