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The family of a four-year-old girl who suffered an allergic reaction on board a flight over the Atlantic Ocean claims a US carrier refused to accommodate them on their return journey because it is not 'a nut-free airline.'

The Dublin family was flying to New Jersey when the four-year-old girl went into anaphylactic shock after eating nuts served on the United Airlines flight.

She was given a shot of adrenaline by a fellow passenger and the plane was forced to return to Dublin so she could be rushed to hospital.

A United Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing after a girl suffered an allergic reaction to nuts

However, despite agreeing to fly the family out to rejoin their holiday on a nut-free flight following her ordeal, United allegedly refused to ban nuts carry the family for their return journey.

The allegation comes just days after another four-year-old, Fae Platten, stopped breathing and passed out when she suffered a life-threatening allergy attack on board a flight.

She suffered the reaction after a passenger opened a packet of mixed nuts he brought on the plane despite three warnings that there was a child on board with a severe allergy.

The young girl was given an injection with her adrenaline pen and taken to hospital after the plane landed.

Four-year-old Fae Platten, who was travelling with her family, right, suffered a severe allergic reaction after a fellow passengers opened a bag of nuts in flight despite repeated warnings against doing so

Ryanair, which accommodated the family's request to not serve nuts to passengers, has banned the male passenger from flying with it for two years. 

In contrast, the Irish mother on board the United Airlines flight, who asked not to be identified, said her daughter had never suffered an allergic reaction before, but suffered an extreme response after eating a cashew nut served on the plane.

She told the Irish Independent that her daughter's face swelled, she broke out in hives and struggled to breathe.

She added: 'They put out a call for medical personnel and thankfully there happened to be an allergy specialist from Houston, Texas, on board the flight. She came to the front and gave her the adrenaline from a vial.' 

Howcast's guide to treating anaphylactic shock

The young girl was given an adrenaline injection by an allergy specialist who happened to be on the flight

When the family asked staff not to serve any nuts, they were allegedly told United didn't advertise itself as a 'nut-free airline'.

The mother told the Irish Independent: 'We were only going to discommode 10 other people because we were all in first class. They asked the other people but then a simple request seemed to turn into a big production.'

Staff asked the couple and their young daughter to get off the plane. They spent the night in a hotel while the child's aunt and grandparents, who accompanied them on the trip, travelled home as scheduled.

The couple and their daughter returned to Dublin the following day after United Airlines agreed not to serve any nuts on that flight.

The mother said: 'My daughter was extremely upset by the whole thing, as was I. My husband was angry with how quickly the whole thing escalated from what seemed like a simple request.'

MailOnline Travel has contacted United Airlines for comment.

In a statement to the Irish Independent, the airline said its policy is not to serve peanuts, although some foods might 'include nuts or contain trace amounts of nut ingredients'.