As a new parent, keeping your baby well-fed and healthy is one of your top priorities. You will stop at nothing to source the best ingredients and make the perfect meal for your baby. However, when it comes to food, there’s an important aspect to understand – food allergies. Due to this, it is recommended that babies are introduced to new food one at a time. This way, if your baby does have an allergy to any food, it becomes easier to narrow down the cause.
How can you identify an allergic reaction?
Allergic reactions can be commonly confused with food sensitivity, wherein your child might feel bloated, e.g. if this feeling comes after consuming milk, it could indicate lactose intolerance, and not an allergy. The most common symptoms of allergies are hives and swelling of the tongue and lips. Your baby can also suffer from wheezing, a runny nose, watery eyes, coughing, or a rash. Vomiting and diarrhoea, although possible, are less common. Infants who are still on breast milk can also exhibit these symptoms, as a reaction to what the mother has eaten. If you spot any of these symptoms in your baby, it’s important to track how often, and after how long of consuming the food, the reaction happens. This will help your doctor diagnose the condition, or refer you to an allergist.
What are the most common food allergens?
Most of the allergic reactions in children can be associated with these 8 foods:
- Soy
- Wheat (more precisely, gluten)
- Dairy
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Tree nuts (like almonds, cashews and walnuts)
- Peanuts
- Eggs
While your child can outgrow some allergies, it is less likely that they will outgrow an allergy to tree nuts, peanuts, fish or shellfish.
Could my baby be at a higher risk of developing a food allergy?
Allergies tend to run in families. So, if you, your partner or other children have been diagnosed with a food allergy or other allergies like eczema or asthma, your new born can have a food allergy.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for a food allergy. If your child does end up having one, you will need to read food labels very carefully, and also make it a habit to carry an epinephrine auto-injector in case of an emergency.
Author Bio: Prapti Chauhan is a former leading physician and currently a health care blogger. The author believes in providing reliable, rich quality and valuable resources on all healthcare topics specifically stem cell banking and benefits of stem cell banking.
