When your baby has been started on solids, it is important to be aware of what foods your infant is allergic to since food allergy could sometimes be with simple symptoms and sometimes could turn into a life-threatening situation. Identifying what food your infant could be allergic to is only through trial and error. Read below to know how to identify that your infant is allergic to a particular food, what symptoms are mild and what is severe and what should be done when a situation occurs.
Is my baby at risk of developing a food allergy?
If there is a family history of allergy then the infant is more prone to develop food allergies. Infants who have eczema are at a high risk of having food allergies. Infants who are introduced to high allergenic foods late after a year are also likely to develop food allergies.
So what are the foods babies are commonly allergic to?
Shellfish, egg, soy and soy products, peanuts, almonds, wheat, and cow milk come under the category of highly allergenic foods for infants. Nearly 5 percent of the babies are allergic to them.
How can I identify that my baby is allergic to a particular food?
The following are the symptoms your infant would develop when consuming the food that they are allergic to:
(1) Itching, swelling, and watery eyes
(2) Runny nose and sneezing continuously
(3) Swelling of mouth
(4) Coughing
(5) Vomiting
(6) Diarrhea and stomach pain
(7) Itching and swelling of the skin
(8) Hives
If no proper medical help is given at the earliest it can lead to severe symptoms like loss of consciousness, pale skin, difficulty in breathing, and wheezing. Symptoms start 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming the allergic food.
How can you prevent this?
The best way to prevent having the risk of allergies is by breastfeeding. Exclusively breastfeeding the baby for the first six months makes them immune and protects them not only from allergies but also from wheezing and eczema. Avoid giving solid foods before six months of age. Delaying and waiting to give babies allergic food like eggs, shellfish, peanuts, etc later results in a high risk of having an allergic reaction towards them. So it is better to expose the infant right after 6 months of age. Before buying any packed food or ingredients for preparing the baby’s meal read the label to look out for allergens.
Introduce one new food at a time so that you will be able to identify whether it is causing any allergies. If you introduce three new meals at a time it would be difficult to identify which food has caused the allergic reaction. Wait for at least three to five days before adding another new food to the baby’s meal. Allergy towards egg and milk usually goes away on continuous exposure while peanut and shellfish usually persist through adulthood. It is a myth that if you have high allergenic foods during pregnancy, it will result in your infant being allergic to them. There is no evidence that the food you eat during pregnancy is related to your infant's allergy.
