Food Allergies In Your Child
Which foods are most likely to cause food allergies, and how can you know if your baby has one? This question plagues us as we try to give our children peanuts, honey, etc in fear that some sort of rash will develop.. or worse. Additionally we want to know if it’s possible that if there are any allergies, that he or she will outgrow it. If that’s the case, when can you reintroduce a food? Hopefully, the answers to these questions outlined below can ease your constantly worried (parental) mind.
Unfortunately, people have food allergies and food sensitivities. Allergic reactions to foods are fast and dramatic, such as wheezing or facial swelling, whereas sensitivities usually show up as facial rash, runny nose or hives but do not appear to be life threatening.
The most common food allergies and sensitivities come from cow’s milk, wheat, legumes (including nuts and soy), chocolate, citrus (before a child is 1 year of age) and strawberries. Some young children have large amounts of gas with cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower, but these are not considered allergies. Children who develop lactose intolerance, often after illness or antibiotic use, are also not displaying an allergy but rather an inability to digest the milk sugar lactose due to a temporary decrease in lactase enzymes in the intestine. Sensitivity reactions can lessen over time but allergies are usually life-long.
Symptoms of an actual food allergy can include wheezing and difficulty breathing, itchy skin rashes, including hives, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain and swelling around his mouth and in his throat. These symptoms usually develop fairly quickly after your child ingests the food he is allergic to, often within minutes to hours.
Symptoms may be mild or very severe, depending on how much of the food your child ingested and how allergic he is to the food. A severe reaction can include anaphylaxis, with difficulty breathing, swelling in the mouth and throat, decreased blood pressure, shock and even death.
Foods to avoid until your infant is at least a year old include cow’s milk and other dairy products, citrus fruits and juices, and wheat. Also, avoid giving eggs until age two, and peanuts (as smooth peanut butter) and shellfish until your child is at least three years old. Whole peanuts and tree nuts should be avoided until your child is four because of the choke hazard.
When you do introduce new foods, do so slowly and only give one new food every four to five days. This way, if your child does have a reaction or allergy, then you will know which food caused it and you will be able to avoid giving it again.
