Food allergy in children is the body's reaction to completely normal food products or any ingredients contained in them. Note that the presence of this disease is a rather serious problem for the baby's health, therefore, it is necessary to determine in time which particular products cause it. Nutrition correction is an essential part of treatment.
Let's first try to understand what food allergies in children are. Doctors define it as a high sensitivity to individual components. The development of allergies is due to the fact that a chemical reaction occurs between immunoglobulin E and the allergen. As a result, an allergic reaction develops .
Meanwhile, a similar problem is characteristic of 2% of the population. As a rule, a true allergy occurs in children in the first years of life (as a rule, egg whites become the cause). Then they "outgrow" her. Food allergy is much less common in adults: approximately 80% of those who complain about it actually experience a condition called "food pseudo-allergy." The cause of this condition may be product intolerance. Sometimes this reaction of the body is due to the fact that people are psychologically inclined to the fact that this element of nutrition should cause it.
If a child has a mother or father suffering from an allergy, then the risk of developing it increases twice. But here there are certain nuances. The fact is that the elements that will be allergens for parents and their child will not always coincide.
Food allergies in children most often occur on dairy products, eggs, fish, soy, walnuts, peanuts and wheat, although it can occur as a reaction of the body to any food. Sometimes this condition occurs due to the use of sulfites used to preserve the color of products. This type of allergy leads to the fact that breathing becomes intermittent, even anaphylactic shock and a severe asthma attack can occur.
Among the symptoms of the disease are called swelling, itching in the mouth, throat or lips. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. In the area of the skin, itching, urticaria and redness are also observed. Sometimes patients describe allergy symptoms, which are expressed in the development of allergic rhinitis, runny nose and cough.
Food allergies in children, whose treatment is long, should be diagnosed as quickly as possible. Its elimination depends on the doctor and on the parents, who must provide the baby with the following conditions:
- New food should be given to the child in small portions, especially if it happens far from home, and medical care is currently not available.
- Before feeding your baby, familiarize yourself with the composition of the product and its basic characteristics.
- It is preferable to feed the child only with fresh food. Limit canned, dried, and processed foods.
- If the baby has already been given this diagnosis, the allergen is also known. Your task is to exclude it from the baby’s food.
Food allergy in children requires a thorough diagnosis, which consists in conducting blood tests for allergens, a scarification test. Then the doctor prescribes a hypoallergenic diet, which must be followed for several weeks. Remember that any diet should be observed only under the supervision of a physician and nutritionist.
Also, during care, child care should also change: when choosing medicines, syrups should be avoided, hypoallergenic cosmetics for the baby should be used, and bathing should take no more than 15 minutes. It is also best to refuse pets, because children who are diagnosed with food allergies are exposed to other allergens.