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The Parent Times>
FOOD ALLERGIES in BABIES
April 1, 2010
CHILD SAFETY PROFESSIONALS
www.childsafetyprofessionals.com
childsafetyprofessionals@yahoo.ca
778-998-5039
APRIL 2010
Sorry for the late newsletter. Things have been hectic!
Anyway our topic of the month are FOOD ALLERGIES in Babies and Toddlers!
Okay many of us new moms always are wondering what foods we should start off with when introducing our babies to solid foods! There are a few general rules that are out there to help us out!
Definition of a FOOD ALLERGY – An allergy is an immune reaction to a foreign antigen (often protein) - in this case, to a food item.
Definition of a FOOD INTOLERANCE - is a term used widely for varied physiological responses associated with a particular food, or compound found in a range of foods. It is not immune mediated.
Food Allergy vs Food Intolerance
These two terms are often used incorrectly. True food allergies actually only affect a very small percentage of people. Experts estimate that only 2 percent of adults and between 2 to 8 percent of children are truly allergic to certain foods.
For example, an intolerance to milk and other foods is much more common and usually less serious than allergy. Food intolerances may produce symptoms similar to food allergies. But while people with true food allergies must avoid certain offending foods altogether, people with food intolerance can often eat small amounts of the offending food without experiencing symptoms.
Food allergies are more common in infants and young people who often outgrow these allergies as they grow. Of course there are some food allergies that will last the life time of the person. There are of course foods that are more common for children to have allergic reactions to such as peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. Other allergies that children often outgrow are wheat, soy, eggs and milk.
So the top 8 allergenic foods that account for 90% of ALL food allergies are:
a. milk
b. eggs
c. peanuts
d. tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, etc)
e. fish
f. shellfish
g. soy
h. wheat
Also please be aware that people who are allergic to wheat is different from gluten intolerance. Gluten intolerance (Celieac’s Disease) is NEVER outgrown and MUST be managed.
WHEN TO INTRODUCE SOLID FOODS
Okay there is much debate on when to start introducing solid foods to your baby. Most experts believe that solid foods should NOT be introduced PRIOR to 4 months of age. This is because babies prior to this are unable to digest food properly. Usually solid foods are introduced starting around 6 months of age.
When starting new solid foods make sure you introduce these foods in the morning or afternoon. This will enable you to deal with any adverse reactions they may have to a new food. Further, a good RULE to follow when introducing solid foods is the 4 day rule. The 4 day rule is basically you introduce ONE new food at a time and continue to feed your baby this ONE type of food for 4 days in a row. This will give you a change to determine whether your baby has any reaction to this type of food. If you introduce two new food types in a row and your baby does have a reaction, you will not know which food caused the reaction. That is why you should only introduce ONE new food at a time! Also, sometimes it can take 3 or 4 days for a reaction to appear.
HOW TO SPOT A ALLERGIC REACTION
There are a number of different symptoms to look for such as:
a. runny nose
b. hives
c. sudden rash on the skin and bottom
d. sudden lose, diarrhea stools and/or vomiting
e. irritability and/or gassiness
f. breathing or other respiratory troubles
g. swelling of the face, lips or tongue
h. course or tightening of the throat
i. ear infections
j. watery or red eyes
Of course there could be many other symptoms that could occur.
WHEN TO INTRODUCE CERTAIN FOODS
There are of course some foods that should be introduced LATER as they are the more allergen-prone foods. Here are a couple of them:
a. Meat, egg yolk and soy products – 8 months
b. Cheese, yogurt, milk, legumes – 9 months
c. Egg whites, fish, tomatoes, citrus fruits and strawberries – 1 year
d. Chocolate, seafood, honey, peanuts, and all peanut products should be delayed for a long as possible due to the extreme allergic reactions from some children.
Of course if you have a family history of certain food allergies, be particularly careful when introducing those foods.
If your baby does have a reaction to a certain type of food, wait a few months before trying it again and you might want to consult your family physician.
HOW LONG DOES A FOOD ALLERGY LAST?
Like we mentioned above, some allergies can last a life time. The majority of food allergies will be outgrown by the time the child is 3 years of age.
HOW ARE FOOD ALLERGIES DIAGNOSED?
Food allergies a lot of the time can be diagnosed by eliminating a food which then improves the symptoms and reintroducing the foods which than causes the symptoms to recur.
Allergy testing can also be done by having the Skin Test and RAST testing. Remember, allergies can change.
MAKE sure to consult your physician if you have any questions or concerns about the introduction or any type of reaction your baby experiences to certain foods!
*Please note that all tips are offered as suggestions only. While we have tried to provide you with some suggestions to help parents keep their kids safe, unfortunately we cannot think of everything and it is the responsibility of parents to ensure their children’s safety.
Check us out on Facebook (Childproofers BC), Twitter (Childproofersbc) and Blogspot (Child Safety BC) for regular updates. Links to these sites will be posted.
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/childproofersbc
Twitter - twitter.com/childproofersbc
Blogspot - http://childsafetybc.blogspot.com/
Erin Johnston
Child Safety Professionals
http://www.childsafetyprofessionals.com
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