A food allergy, (hypersensitivity) is an untypical reaction to a food caused by the immune system. Food allergies usually strike during the first three years of life. People who have a family history of such allergies or wider allergic family history (asthma, eczema) are more prone to suffer from food allergy.
Food hypersensitivity is also most widespread in babies who eat foods likely to cause an allergic reaction at an earliest age. Not less than ninety percent of food allergies in children and babies are connected with one of the following foods: cow’s milk, eggs, soy, peanuts and wheat. Most children suffer from allergy to one particular food, although there is always the possibility of getting numerous allergies. A meaningful minority of those children who have cow’s milk allergy also have soy allergy.
Majority of children outgrow their food allergies. Outgrowing allergies to milk and soy is ordinarily observed by the first birthday. Most of them have outgrown food allergies by their third birthday. Even those children who still have their allergies at the age of three will outgrow them in usual circumstances, particularly if they do not consume the foods causing allergic reaction for one or two years.
However, some food allergies last for a lifetime. A few typical examples include allergies to fish, shellfish, nuts and peanuts.
Allergies to milk and soy are seen especially in young kids and infants. Ordinarily, these allergies do not lead to hives and asthma, but rather result in colic, blood in the stool as well as poor growth. Babies and children are more prone to be susceptible to this allergic syndrome due to the weakness and immaturity of their immune and digestive systems.
Food allergies may be so serious that even the smallest contact with the food causes abrupt itching, stinging as well as inflammation of the throat, tongue and lips.
Allergies to milk or soy can affect a baby within days to months of birth. In some cases
a family history of feeding problems or allergies can be found. Food allergies may be detected or diagnosed when giving up particular food improves symptoms and reintroducing the food brings the symptoms back.
The core of treatment is to eliminate the food causing the allergy. This can be a difficult task due to the fact that some foods are hidden ingredients of many products. After eliminating the food causing allergy, it usually takes about three days to see improvement.
Allergy testing can be beneficial as well. In babies, a positive result usually indicates the allergy, but a result that is negative does not bring much information. Among preschool children, the opposite is right. A negative result means that a child is not allergic to the food. However, a positive result may or may not mean an allergy.
If the baby is fed with cow’s milk, the physician can recommend a change to soy forumla or, if possible, suggest feeding only with breast milk. If soy formula results in an allergic reaction, it may be suggested to stay on a basic formula.
These formulas consist of processed proteins, essentially sugars and amino acids. In these materials there are no allergens. Sometimes the physicians prescribe corticosteroids to treat serious food allergies in babies. Time mostly cures this particular gastrointestinal condition.
It often resolves within the first years of life.
Exclusive breast feeding that excludes all other food items for the first six to twelve months after birth is often recommended to avoid allergies to milk or soy.
Such a feeding often leads to parents avoiding troubles with infant-feeding, especially if they are allergic; the baby is more prone to be allergic. Some children are so sensitive to
a certain food that if the food is consumed by the mother, significant amounts enter the breast milk to cause a food reaction in the child. Sometimes the mothers must stay away from those foods that cause allergies in the infants.
Breast feeding can help avoid numerous food allergies. This is especially true if the mother eliminates some of the most allergic foods like milks, peanuts and eggs. Mothers who consume beneficial bacteria, as included in yogurt, during pregnancy and nursing might help their children with keeping food allergies away.
If a person suspects a food allergy, a medical evaluation is necessary to suitable treatment. The treatment involves identification of the foods and eliminating them. Parents of children suffering from food allergies should be well-informed about allergies and their treatment, and should cooperate with their physicians.
It is necessary for such parents to identify inappropriate foods and to eliminate them from their children’s diet. Some foods can result in serious illnesses. In some cases, an allergic reaction may be life-threatening because it can block airways in the lungs, lower pressure
of blood, and lead to suffocation by the inflammation of the throat or swelling of the tongue.
