The Signs Of A Food Allergy

Infant food allergies most commonly occur when parents are introducing their babies to new foods. Sometimes certain proteins cause the body to make an antibody called IgE, which alerts the baby's system that a foreign invader has arrived.

For babies, ninety percent of food allergies come from milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts or almonds), fish (tuna, salmon, cod), shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab), soy or wheat.

The American Academy of Pediatrics used to recommend that parents wait until their child reaches the age of 3, at least, to try something like peanuts because of the potential for serious allergic reactions, but recently they admitted there is no research to back up the theory that late introduction to certain foods prevents allergies. You may find, however, that it's less stressful to deal with a food allergy reaction in an older child.

The best way to cope with serious food allergies is to keep your infant away from their food trigger. Make sure babysitters, relatives, daycare workers and school officials know about their food allergy and subsequent reaction. Breastfeeding offers good protection against allergies, so it's best to breastfeed as long as you can.

When your child is old enough to understand, try reading books to him or her about asking before eating, coping with teasing from other kids and staying safe. Most communities offer resources for parents to communicate with their kids and caregivers about this topic.

At about nine or ten months, parents like to start moving their babies away from a diet consisting solely of baby food. Pediatric food allergies can be a scary thing for parents, so they sometimes hold off on introducing certain foods.

Even if there is no added food allergy risk, it is easier to manage older babies with allergies. Allergy reactions are the worst for peanuts and shellfish, so many pediatricians recommend waiting until your child is at least three years old to introduce these things.

Whole cow's milk should not be given to babies under a year of age because the proteins are too complex for the baby's stomach to digest. However, yogurt and soft cheeses are a subtler way to introduce dairy, as these products are broken down.

Honey is another substance doctors recommend holding off of on (until age 1 or 2) because it may cause a disease called infant botulism.

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