Allergy Food And How to Handle It

Baby Food

Could the baby have a food allergy? There is a possibility that your baby has allergies to certain foods, although sometimes the alleged food allergies may not necessarily occur in your baby. Food allergies occur because there is an immune reaction that deviates and consequently is directly shown by the body. For example, in seafood-allergic children, when they eat shrimp, the shrimp protein that comes in, will be considered dangerous by the immune system, so it attacks the body's organs such as skin itching, to shortness of breath.

By understanding how allergies react in your baby's body, you can know the early signs if she has an allergy to certain foods, such as the following:

1. The baby's abdomen enlarges (bloating), diarrhea, the pup is more fluid, and urinates more often than usual, but not with mucus or blood.
2. Babies are more fussy because of the discomfort in their digestive organs.
3. Itching, biduran, or eczema on the skin.
4. Cough.
5. Gag.
6. Breathlessness.
7. Lips and throat swelling.
8. The baby's eyes are red and watery.

What Happens When Baby Has Food Allergies?

As mentioned, some of these early signs will show up in your baby, but the cause of allergies has not been clearly established until you consult a pediatrician. The baby's body as well as adults have antibodies called IgE, which is a protein detecting substances that enter the body. When certain food substances that cause allergies come in, these antibodies will release substances such as histamine. Well, this is what causes allergic reactions, both light and heavy.

Early symptoms such as itching, swelling, or difficulty breathing in infants usually appear up to two hours after the allergic substance from certain foods into the body. Watch your baby when these early signs are seen, because in some cases of food allergies in infants, this can progress to very severe if not treated promptly.

In some cases also found in the digestive symptoms of allergies such as vomiting or chronic diarrhea and suffered long enough by the baby to cause eczema on the skin. Eczema is a dry area of ​​skin that looks like reddish and scaly patches, which appear on the face, arms, to the baby's leg area, but not in the diaper area.

There are also cases where food allergic reactions appear in infants, although they have been given to infants before and there are no allergic problems. So, babies who have or have an allergic potential for eggs, for example, may not show a certain allergic reaction when first consuming eggs, but after a few consumptions, the reaction symptoms appear.

What Foods Can Trigger Allergies in Babies?

Breastfeeding foods may cause allergic reactions. Through research, there are eight food groups that can trigger allergies, namely:

1. Eggs (chicken, duck, or quail egg). Eggs, especially egg whites, can cause allergic reactions. The result is usually a feeling of itching all over the body. Skin looks reddish or swollen.
2. Milk (cow and goat). Allergic reactions caused by cow / goat milk may be diarrhea or vomiting. Infants who can not consume breast milk (in certain cases) and suffer from allergies to cow's milk, are not recommended consuming regular milk formula. Some handling done by pediatricians will generally suggest a special formula milk derived from cow's milk but has been processed in such a way that it does not cause allergies in babies. Also, children not only allergic to cow's milk, but also products that use cow's milk, such as ice cream, cheese, and so on. But that does not mean the child then should not drink milk. As a substitute for cow's milk, there is still soy milk. This type of nuts has a low allergenic properties, especially after experiencing the heating process.
3. Peanuts. Vegetable proteins contained in peanuts are high. Some complementary foods of peanut milk may cause itching in the baby's body, as well as the appearance of reddish boils on the area of ​​the hands and face of the baby.
4. Wheat. Allergies due to foods containing wheat such as bread or cereals, can lead to various allergy symptoms such as itching, shortness of breath and nausea, including a fatal allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. For babies with wheat allergies, you should avoid foods containing gluten and semolina. Alternatively, you can use rice or corn.
5. Soybeans. Soy allergies are commonly found in infants fed with soy milk. Other foods that contain soy protein and can cause allergy symptoms in children are miso soup, soy sauce, and foods containing soybean oil.
6. Peanuts grown in trees such as walnuts, cashews, and pistachios. Allergic reactions are similar to allergic reactions in infants who eat peanuts.
7. Fish, like tuna, salmon, and cod. Fish can cause allergic reactions in some babies. Therefore, you should never give the baby before the age of 6 months because this is still in the exclusive breastfeeding period. After the baby's age reaches 8 or 12 months, the fish can be part of a balanced menu.
8. The shellfish included lobster, shrimp and crab. The resulting symptoms are urticaria (itching in the skin), angioedema (swelling), asthma or a combination of some of these disorders. Food allergies because sea fish most easily detected because the symptoms caused relatively quickly. Food allergies due to marine fish include rapid type allergic reactions. Usually less than 8 hours of allergy complaints are recognizable.

So What To Do If There are Food Allergy Symptoms in Infants?

The first time your baby has an allergic reaction, of course, will make you more alert when allergic reactions occur again. Although her first reaction to food allergies may seem mild, it is unlikely that the next will get worse. In addition to avoiding babies from food that may cause allergies, you should also consult your pediatrician for information about the action to be taken, including instructions on how to handle the baby's allergic reaction.

If your baby has mild allergic symptoms, and the reaction takes place within a few hours, consult a pediatrician for allergy testing to be performed on your baby. Doctors certainly can find the cause of allergies from certain things or foods that can not be digested by the baby.

However, if the baby presents symptoms such as difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or lips, frequent and frequent vomiting, or diarrhea after meals, go to the nearest hospital. Because of this allergic reaction can be very deadly and needed medical action as soon as possible.

After allergic problems in infants have been found by pediatricians, make sure that everyone at home, including the nanny and close family, know about allergies in your baby, so they know what they should not eat, and what to do when an allergic reaction occurs.

Can allergies be caused by heredity?

It could, but allergies are passed on to the baby is not necessarily the same type of allergy suffered by his parents. For example, if you have allergies to the respiratory tract (allergic to dust, flower powder), animal allergy allergies, or certain food allergies, then maybe 50% of your infants suffer from the same allergies. And if both baby parents have allergies, the odds are 75% or even more.

Is it true that food allergies in the baby will be lost by themselves?

For some types of allergies, such as wheat allergies, soybeans, eggs, and cow's milk can be overcome by the body of the Small along with the growth and age. Several studies have suggested that allergy-causing proteins in children will be manageable by the child's body for different times in each child.

However, there are allergies that will never disappear from the body. Some children who suffer from allergies with foods such as fish, beans, shellfish, and shrimp will carry this allergy all the time.

The best advice for managing allergies in babies is, Mothers do not worry and do not need to over-limit the food that will be consumed by the child. Understand what allergies he suffered and avoid foodstuffs that cause allergies. Give variations of food to the baby so that the need for vitamins and essential substances for growth can be fulfilled well. Lastly, monitor the development of allergies by always routinely consult with pediatricians so that your child will continue to experience good growth and successfully overcome allergic reactions he suffered.