Mothers of children with recurrent atopic dermatitis can confidently say that a hypoallergenic diet for a child is a topic that is topical for them. They are almost "pros" in this matter. Why almost? In order to fully possess the data and know how to deal with this scourge, you need to be an allergist with extensive experience and constantly updated knowledge. And best of all to scientists, preferably a geneticist, because it is precisely the genetic nature of diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, eczema and other allergic reactions of the body.
Allergy Theories
Allergy, in any form, is characteristic of almost the entire population of the earth. Almost everyone suffers from an allergy to any irritant, if not from infancy, then in later life. The hypoallergenic diet being developed for a child (2 years and older) corrects the situation only for a short time. Currently, there are many diverse theories about the origin of allergies.
Theory one: industrialization is to blame
Anyone who zealously fights for sterility blames the non-sterile environment for everything.
But how can we talk about pollution? Most of the modern population breathes much less smoke than their ancestors who stoked the stoves. Therefore, smog seems an unconvincing reason for the occurrence of allergies.
But all kinds of chemicals actively used in industry, getting into the air, are the cause of allergic reactions.
The second theory: our smaller brothers are to blame
Others believe that the danger lies in carpets, furniture, mattresses, or rather, in the litter of microscopic dust mites, which entire families live in household things that are difficult to sterilize.
The third theory: cleanliness is harmful to health
Dirty, not loving to wash their hands, they accuse obsessive hygiene of everything.
There is a theory according to which the cleaner the environment of the child, the greater the likelihood of allergic reactions in him. It is noticed that children with an older brother or sister are less likely to suffer from allergies. Most likely, this is because such a child from childhood gets acquainted with street dirt and dust.
Scientists think that for the normal development of the immune system, the body needs contact with bacteria, especially with soil.
Theory Four: Worms
The following theory suggests that allergies occur as a result of the activity of the cells of the immune system responsible for fighting worms. In ancient times, the immunoglobulin-E-dependent system waged an endless struggle against parasites of all kinds. There was absolutely no time left for feces of ticks or cat hair. Today, in the era of central water supply, this system is not occupied with anything and is hypersensitive to any irritants.
What all scientists agree on is that the appearance of allergies is due to a genetic predisposition, in other words, heredity.
Battle of the sexes
People often associate their allergy predisposition with maternal illness. This is due to the fact that in men allergy, as a rule, manifests itself in childhood and in adulthood completely disappears, and in women the opposite. It manifests itself in adulthood and no longer passes. Which leads to the conclusion that the mother is to blame for the appearance of an allergic child. Although the genetic mutation of the father has not been canceled. She only stopped manifesting herself externally, but she was probably passed on to the child. The hypoallergenic diet that comes to the rescue for children (3 years and older) only slightly corrects the situation, but often upsets relapses.
The nature of atopic dermatitis
In order to choose the right diet for atopic dermatitis, you need to know exactly how and because of what it arises.
Atopy is a hereditary predisposition to various allergies. Whether it is asthma, eczema, allergies and anaphylaxis - these are all manifestations of one syndrome associated with the work of certain cells of the body, activated by the same immunoglobulin E.
Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common allergic diseases that manifest themselves during the first 6 months of life.
Scientific research in the field of molecular medicine today led to an understanding of the nature of biological defects that occur in patients with atopic dermatitis.
The basis of atopic dermatitis is chronic allergic inflammation. A hypoallergenic diet for a child who has received such a gift in inheritance helps to partially improve the condition.
The development of atopic dermatitis has many factors, but immune disorders play a leading role among them.
The main deviation from the normal state of the organs of the immune system and the violation of the immune response during the development of atopic dermatitis are changes in the ratios of Th1 / Th2 - lymphocytes towards Th2 helper cells, which leads to a change in the cytokine profile and high production of specific IgE antibodies.
In other words, the Th2-dependent immune system acquires unnatural superactivity. And this system is precisely responsible for the destruction of parasites on the mucosa and intestines, which is accompanied by a massive release of histamine. The latter, in turn, has the same effect on allergies as gasoline on fire. Hence the common misconception that if a child has atopic dermatitis, then it means that he has worms. However, knowing how the immune system works, it is worth making the opposite conclusion: if there are worms, then atopic dermatitis is unlikely to manifest itself.
Treatment of atopic dermatitis in children
The treatment of atopic dermatitis is multistage, but the main factor, of course, is early intervention. The faster and more appropriate the treatment, the more likely it is that the disease will not go into the chronic stage.
The main points in the treatment of atopic dermatitis are:
- Identification of allergens and their exclusion from the life of the child. For example, if a baby is allergic to wool, then the cat or dog will have to be attached in good hands, as well as remove and clean all dust collectors on which this wool could settle.
- Hypoallergenic diet for atopic dermatitis in children.
- Treatment with modern antihistamines.
- Treatment of concomitant diseases: nervous system, immune system, gastrointestinal tract, skin rashes.
Allergy provocative products
The most common allergenic products that should be excluded from the menu if a hypoallergenic diet for children is followed. List of prohibited foods:
- Cow's milk comes first in allergenicity.
- Fish, shrimp, crayfish, oysters, lobsters, etc. - it is established that allergy to these products does not go away and persists in adulthood.
- Chicken eggs - there are cases when, together with chicken protein, the body does not tolerate the chicken itself, as well as the broth cooked from it.
- Bakery products from rye and wheat flour.
- Citrus fruits (oranges, tangerines).
- Nuts, one of the most allergenic foods. The most allergenic of them: peanuts, walnuts, almonds and chestnuts.
- Honey, due to the high content of sucrose, glucose and fructose in it - 75-80%.
- Mushrooms, as heavy food, are not recommended for baby food.
- Red berries (raspberries, strawberries, strawberries).
- Exotic fruits (persimmon, melon, pineapple, pomegranate).
- Red vegetables (beets, carrots, tomatoes).
- Celery, despite the fact that this plant is a storehouse of nutrients (potassium, phosphorus, vegetable protein) and vitamins (A, B, B2, B6, B9, PP, E, K), it is also a strong allergen.
- Potatoes, as part of a hypoallergenic diet for children, the menu of which is drawn up by the mother, cannot always be included in this diet because of the high content of starch in it.
Breastfeeding a child with atopic dermatitis
A child who is predisposed to food allergies is best kept breast-fed. Mother's milk is deprived of allergic properties (provided that the mother follows the necessary diet), and the protein that enters the body is easily broken down by the enzymes of the newborn.
Mother's milk contains a lot of secretory immunoglobulin A, which is responsible for protecting the mucosa, including the intestines, from foreign agents (allergens).
The introduction of complementary foods
If the child suffers from atopic dermatitis, you can wait a while with the introduction of complementary foods. The later the complementary foods are introduced, the greater the likelihood that his digestive system will “mature” and the foods will be better absorbed.
In any case, pediatricians do not recommend introducing complementary foods before 5-6 months.
Each new product is introduced in a minimal amount (half a teaspoon) and the reaction is monitored. If the body assimilates the product, the dose is gradually increased, bringing it to the age norm, if not, the product is removed from the diet for at least six months.
Diet
A hypoallergenic diet for a child with atopic dermatitis should be aimed at cleansing the body of foods or chemicals to which the body is hypersensitive, in other words, to exclude from the menu everything that causes allergies.
For young children, it is especially important to maintain a balanced diet for fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The allergenic product thrown out of the menu should be replaced by a non-allergenic equivalent to it.
The duration of the diet itself is determined individually. But in order to completely cleanse the body of allergens and restore its normal working capacity, to extend remission, it is necessary from six months to a year.
After this time, you need to conduct an allergological examination for the possibility of introducing an allergenic product into the diet. Up to this point, a hypoallergenic diet for children is maintained, the menu of which is selected individually.
Allergen-Free Diet
When planning how to feed a child, each parent who has encountered this ailment should not only throw allergens out of food, but also replace them with energetically similar ones. The following is an exemplary hypoallergenic diet for children. The menu for the week may be as follows:
Monday
Breakfast: oatmeal, boiled in water with little or no sugar. Dressed with butter and non-allergenic fruits or berries. Tea without aromatic additives and herbs.
Lunch: soup on a vegetable broth with a slice of lean beef. Apple or berry jelly.
Dinner: rice with steamed chicken cutlet. If you are allergic to chicken, you can replace the meat with turkey. Green apple, kefir.
Tuesday
Breakfast: tea without additives with a little sugar or all without it, bread with butter and cheese, a small portion of yogurt.
Lunch: the same as on Monday, dried fruit compote.
Dinner: pear, beef goulash, mashed potato (or vegetable).
Wednesday
Breakfast: pasta seasoned with butter, apple, tea.
Lunch: same as in previous days.
Dinner: vegetable stew, pear, dried fruit compote.
Thursday
Breakfast: dry cookies with butter, a salad of non-allergenic fruits with natural yogurt, tea.
Lunch: vegetable soup, steam cutlet of lean beef, fruit, compote of green apples.
Dinner: buckwheat porridge with onions, seasoned with low-fat sour cream, compote.
Friday
Breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese with sour cream and a little sugar, tea.
Lunch: vegetable soup, boiled meat (chicken, beef, turkey to choose from), pear, jelly.
Dinner: buckwheat porridge with stewed vegetables, kefir.
Saturday
Breakfast: a sandwich with butter and boiled meat, apple, tea.
Lunch: same as the previous day.
Dinner: wheat porridge with cabbage and greens salad, compote.
Sunday
Breakfast: cottage cheese casserole, tea.
Lunch: soup with chicken (beef) meatballs, apple, compote.
Dinner: rice porridge with a steam patty, natural yogurt.
Now you know what a hypoallergenic diet for children should look like. The recipes for her are the simplest. We offer several options:
- Cutlets in the oven. Prepared from buckwheat porridge, grated with minced meat.
- Mashed potatoes. The tubers are steamed. Then we shift them into a cup, fill with vegetable broth, add a little bit of linseed oil.
- Rice casserole. Made with grated apple (green) or fructose.
A hypoallergenic diet for a child of 1 year of age is significantly different from the above, since children of this age are still not good enough to chew and may choke. For them, it will be reasonable to dose all the food in small pieces or present in the form of mashed potatoes or mousses. For example, apple mousse, which will be appreciated by all children without exception, is prepared as follows: two large apples are peeled, rubbed, poured with a tablespoon of sugar and put away in the cold. At this time, fill the remaining peel and stub with water and boil for about 10 minutes. Dissolve the soaked gelatin (gram 3) in the resulting and cooled broth, beat in a thick foam. Add the grated apple, beat everything up again, put it in the molds and put it in the cold. Mousse is ready!
Thus, a hypoallergenic diet for a child is not a panacea for allergies, but a significant help to the body in the fight against harmful factors.