Handling Food Allergies in Infants and Children

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Not a strange if we meet a baby or child who is allergic to a type of food. But with a complete knowledge of food allergies that we will discuss together, you will be better prepared and ready to handle food allergies.

Introduction of Food Allergies in Infants and Children

Food allergies have a medical term for immune response to food responses. Food allergies are hypersensitivity reactions of the body's immune system that arise immediately after eating certain foods, although the amount is small.

You should know that about 6-8% of children under five suffer from food allergies. The most common causes are beans, seafood (shrimp, lobster, crab), fish, eggs, and milk.

Food allergy symptoms usually appear several minutes to two hours after meals-foods that cause allergies into the patient's body.

Well, maybe the curious mother like what signs or symptoms that appear in infants or children when having food allergies?

Some signs and symptoms of food allergies

The following are some of the signs that appear when children suffer from food allergies:

1. Tingling/numbness or itching of the mouth.
2. Swelling on the lips
3. Swelling of the face, tongue, or other body parts.
4. Sneezing, stuffy nose.
5. Difficulty breathing, due to swelling of the respiratory tract.
6. The body feels itchy.
7. Heartburn, diarrhea.
8. Nauseous vomit.
9. Dizzy.

Food allergy symptoms can also cause an acute allergic reaction or anaphylaxis which is a severe allergic reaction. If this happens then we need to immediately bring the patient to the doctor or hospital for immediate emergency treatment. When it is too late, it can lead to a coma or death.

Because it is very dangerous for us as parents to know the symptoms of acute allergy (anaphylaxis) to maintain the safety of the baby who is often allergic to food.

Anaphylactic symptoms of food allergies

1. Difficulty breathing, feeling like choking.
2. The decrease in blood pressure, rapid pulse.
3. The face is bluish, uneasy.
4. Limp.
5. A decrease in consciousness, suddenly unconscious and unconscious.

Need to understand that everyone has a risk of suffering from an allergy to something, but there are higher risk factors for children who:

• Have a history of allergies in the family.
• Have dust allergy, cold allergy, and asthma.
• Young age. Most food allergies suffered by infants and toddlers because the digestive system is not perfect.

Read also : Allergy Food And How to Handle It

Then what should we do to prevent the occurrence of food allergies in your baby?

Prevention of Food Allergies in Infants and Toddlers

If the mother suffers from food allergies, the following things need to do to prevent an allergic reaction:

• You should know what you will give your child. Always read the information on the food wrapping label on the ingredients / Fill the food.
• Let others know you will help you with your children, such as schoolteachers, daycare, grandparents, and other families, so they can be careful to feed them.
• Explain about common allergic symptoms that affect your child, such as shortness of breath, swelling in the mouth, or other.
• Also, teach the caregiver or other people who often interact with your child about how to deal with when the child began to feel/show allergy symptoms. Is it enough to provide anti-allergic drugs or should be done another way of rescue, such as drug injections?

Treatment of Food Allergies in Infants and Children

1. If your baby has been eating foods that trigger allergies, give antihistamine drugs or epinephrine injections.
2. When a food allergy in a new child first occurs, immediately take your child to the nearest doctor or health service to see whether there is an allergic reaction that can endanger his life.
3. Consult a physician about the type of drug and how to inject the injection when necessary, as well as the dose.

Thus our discussion about the handling of food allergies in infants and children. Give your child enough attention and always keep the cleanliness of themselves and the environment. May we and family always be in health and free from various allergy, especially food allergy.