Ever seen a child who can’t eat anything made from wheat, or can’t drink milk or consume dairy products?
Yes, you guessed right.
It’s the food allergies in children.
Food allergies are common in children, yet most parents are not well aware of what can trigger an allergy in a child. Most of the time, they don’t even understand that their child is suffering from a food allergy.
Studies show that the prevalence of childhood food allergies are increasing with time. So, it’s the need of the hour that everyone educates themselves on food allergies in children.
To know how you can prevent your child from any unforeseen allergy reaction in children, here is everything you need to know about food allergies.
Table of Contents
What are Food Allergies?
Any abnormal response from your body to a certain food is known as a food allergy.
Food allergies are completely different from food intolerance. Both these distinctions are due to the way they affect the immune system despite similar symptoms.
What is the Main Distinction Between Food Allergy and Food Intolerance?
Food allergies directly affect your immune system. So much so that it threatens your life.
Food intolerance has nothing to do with affecting the immune system, even though symptoms may be similar.
Regardless of whatever symptom you or your child may come across, it is important to get these symptoms checked with your doctor right away.
What Causes Food Allergy?
You need to understand that many immune related reasons contribute to food allergies.
Most of the time, it’s a sensitivity.
This sensitivity either stems from exposure of the child to a certain food, or your kid may be sensitized to breast milk. Incase if your child is sensitized to your breast milk you can change it with the nutritious milk powder.
The main reason for the child’s reaction is that when it reacts with food, histamines are released which causes a child to experience asthma, hives, rashes, stomachaches, vomiting and even diarrhea.
Some food allergies can be life-threatening if not treated at the right time.
What kinds of Food is My Child Most Prone To?
Allergies may differ for everyone. Causes and triggers for every allergy are different. Here is a list of all the foods that cause food allergies in the following foods:
- Milk
- Soya
- Peanuts
- Eggs
- Wheat
- Tree Nuts
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Prawns
Eggs, milk and peanuts are the most common causes of food allergies in children. Fish, shellfish and peanuts usually cause the most severe reactions in children.
Children may outgrow their allergies with time, but they are most vulnerable to allergies and reactions under the age of 5.
What are Some of the Common Symptoms of Food Allergy?
Allergic symptoms may begin right after ingestion of food. The reaction may start right after a few minutes to proceeding hours. Each child experiences allergies differently.
Some of the common symptoms include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Cramps
- Hives
- Rashes
- Swelling of lips, tongue or mouth
- Eczema
- Difficulty in Breathing
- Wheezing
- Low Blood Pressure
- Skin Itching
It is imperative to understand that a single grain of a food can trigger sudden food allergy for a severe allergic reaction.
Some children are less prone to severe allergic reactions.
The symptoms of food allergies can develop into various medical conditions. You should always consult your child’s doctor in case of any diagnosis.
Are There Any Treatments for Food Allergies?
Sadly, there are no solid cures for preventing food allergies.
The main target with food allergies is to avoid any food that causes food symptoms.
The best way to prevent any food allergy is to consult your child and avoid any food allergy. The consultation with your child is necessary because he/she can well point out foods that cause discomfort.
You can start with avoiding any such foods and anything that falls in a similar category of such foods.
If you are breastfeeding your child, you should avoid any food that your child may be allergic to. Be very careful about your own diet, as a small portion of any food can cause an allergy in your child.
If your child is allergic to certain foods, it is important to acquire sufficient minerals and vitamins through other means. However, If your child has a severe allergic reaction, you should carry an emergency kit with you at all times.
If you are unsure about which food groups your child may be allergic to, simply start with giving small doses of food to the child.
Some allergies are short term in children and they eventually outgrow with them. Some people get allergy reactions much later in life when they test a new combination of food for the first time in their life.
How to Prevent Food allergies?
Here are some of the tips for you to prevent food allergies in your child:
- Breastfeed your child, for at least the first six months for your child’s immunity to build up.
- Make sure you do not provide any solid food to your child before six months.
- Don’t give your baby whole milk until after age 1.
- Avoid cow’s milk, wheat, eggs, and peanuts in the first development of your child.
- Make sure when you dine out with your family, you keep a good consciousness of what food items on the menu can trigger possible food allergies.
Takeaway Note!
Food allergies in children are usually nothing to worry about till after you get the hang of it. After that, you just need to manage your child really well.
The goal of treatment is for your child to stay away from the foods that cause the symptoms. Your child also needs a food allergy treatment plan and epinephrine autoinjectors in case of a severe allergic reaction.
If you want to know more about food allergies, we highly recommend talking to one of our top nutritionist/food allergy specialists online through Healthwire.pk. You can book an appointment by calling at (042) 32500989.
