Allergy in infants: what to do?

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Allergies in children are a real scourge of the modern time. Every 20th child is diagnosed with a "food allergy", and every 3rd child is at risk of developing it. What is the reason, what are the risk factors and what kind of food to choose in case of an allergic reaction – read in our material.

Symptoms and factors of development

Allergy in children is a reaction of the immune system to a potentially dangerous product or substance, as a result of which the immune system begins to launch protective processes. Food allergy is most frequent in infants.

Symptoms of allergy in infants may include redness, diathesis (rashes on the skin of the cheeks followed by peeling), itching, urticaria, Quincke’s edema, runny nose, cough. In addition, intestinal disorders may occur: loose stools, constipation, flatulence, torminas. Respiratory symptoms may also manifest: bronchospasm, runny nose.

If an infant is breast-fed, then the allergy is primarily related to the mother’s diet. If the baby is formula-fed, then the allergen is obviously contained in the products he uses. One of the causes of allergies is a hereditary factor. So, if one of the parents suffered from an allergy, then the risk of an allergy in a child is 36 percent, if both parents are allergic – 61 percent.

Another serious factor in the development of allergies is the course of pregnancy and the act of delivery. The likelihood of allergies increases significantly if during pregnancy the fetal hypoxia or oxygen deficit took place, as well as acute respiratory or intestinal infections in the mother.

The development of the child’s body is negatively affected by the presence in the mother of bronchopulmonary diseases, diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as smoking during pregnancy and an overdose of antibiotics. With these factors, allergy in infants occurs in 80 percent of cases.

An allergy in the child may also arise due to the use of cosmetic product unsuitable for children, such as soap, cream, washing powder, rinse.

How to cope with allergies

What should be done if the baby has an allergy? First of all, it is necessary to consult a doctor: a pediatrician or an allergist. The doctor will perform an examination, prescribe the necessary tests and only then determine the treatment. If the forms of an allergic reaction are severe, treatment in a hospital will be prescribed.

If there are allergies in the family, there is a high probability that the child has inherited this ailment. You can try to identify the allergen yourself, for this you need to keep a food diary. Have a separate notebook and write down in it all the food consumed by the child during the day.

If the baby is breast-fed, the diet of the mother is to be focused on. I If the baby is formula-fed, you can try switching to another infant formula. When choosing a formula, you should carefully study its composition and properties to exclude the purchase of a product with the substances that cause allergy.

A nursing mother should exclude highly allergenic products from her diet: grapes, chicken eggs, marinades, chocolate, coffee, cocoa, mushrooms, avocados, pineapples, fish, seafood, caviar, honey, nuts, garlic, onions, fermented cabbage, radishes, canned food, spices, as well as vegetables and fruits of red and orange colors. It is also necessary to exclude products containing dyes and preservatives. Alcoholic beverages and smoking are also prohibited. In addition, it is necessary to limit the consumption of the following products: whole milk, sour cream, semolina, sugar, pasta made from premium flour, confectionery. Mayonnaise, sauces, chips, adjika, sausages can also cause food allergies.

It is important to eat natural products. It is allowed to consume:

- fermented milk products (kefir, plain yoghurts, cottage cheese, hard cheeses, acidophilin)

- cereals (oatmeal, rice, corn, buckwheat)

- vegetables (green and white - celery, cucumber, zucchini)

- soups (cereal and vegetarian ones)

- lean meat (beef, turkey, chicken, lean pork)

- fish (hake, pike perch, cod)

- bread made from coarse flour varieties (wheat flour of the second grade or rye flour)

- vegetable oil;

In a mixed type of feeding or in artificial feeding, cow’s milk proteins can be an allergen, so it is necessary to replace the milk protein that is part of the consumed formula with hypoallergenic protein. It is necessary to ensure that there are no sugars (glucose) in the composition of the formula.
Upon detection, the allergy-causing product is excluded from the child’s diet. The diet is followed for three months. After the expiration of this period, the symptoms gradually decrease or disappear altogether.

Preventive measures

As it was mentioned, the prevention of allergies in infants is the mother’s diet. If the child is allergic, complementary products are introduced no earlier than the child reaches the age of six months. It is necessary to start introducing a child to a new product with 1 teaspoonful.

Products such as citrus fruits, eggs, fish, nuts are allergens and therefore should be introduced into the diet only after the child reaches the age of two years of life. It is important to choose hypoallergenic cosmetics for a child in order to prevent allergies.

It is necessary to closely monitor the nutrition of the child and mother. If allergic reactions are detected, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor. It is important not to delay taking measures to treat allergies, only in this case it is possible to avoid a number of unpleasant consequences of allergies.

And more. If a child has an allergy, do not panic. With timely detection and subsequent competent treatment, allergy symptoms usually completely discontinue with age.

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