May
18
Allergy is prevalent both in adults and babies these days. You would be alarmed to hear that out of the total population that suffers from allergies, 6% constitutes children, especially infants. You never know when an allergy will come. Okay…how does allergy occur? As soon as the immune system starts to react differently for the food items that you generally take, it means you are allergic to that type of food.
When I say babies are prone to food allergies, I’m sure many parents will wonder how and why? Am I not true in saying that for every parent, their children is their world? You give them with all the basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter and above all, good care. It is essential that you be aware of the food items that your child is allergic to as sometimes, it may even cause death.
You get a lot of food items like pizza, burger, cheese, milk, pasta, fishes, etc. and your child may be allergic to one or more of these food items. It is the duty of each and every parent to take care of their child’s health and that too when allergies are more prevalent. Necessary steps have to be taken to ensure that the child is not experiencing any uneasiness due to allergies. You will have to be extra careful if you are introducing solid foods to your infant.
Let us see how an allergy occurs as this will help you understand how to prevent as well as manage food allergies. As soon as the child eats a food item that is allergic to him/her, IgE (antibodies) will be produced by the body. The next time when the same food is eaten by your child, IgE will inform the immune system for producing histamines. Histamines are produced to fight against the allergens. In general, allergens are harmless; however, it is the immune system that mistakes this to be harmful for the child and will start to attack it. Due to this, a child may get symptoms and signs of allergy. These symptoms may occur within few minutes or in two hours depending on the response from the immune system.
Allergic symptoms fall into two categories, namely, mild and severe. Mild symptoms include:
a) Swelling of skin, or parts of the body like ears, mouth, tongue, etc.
b) Rashes, which are itchy.
c) Discomfort in breathing
d) Vomiting
e) Diarrhea
In some cases, allergy is hereditary. Say for example, one of your family members is allergic towards milk, there are possibilities for your child to inherit this allergy. Some children do not show any signs of allergy when they start eating these food items; however, in the longer run may develop allergic signs and symptoms. Few food items that may cause allergy are:
a) Eggs
b) Milk
c) Fish
d) Peanuts
e) Treenuts
It is advisable to call the local emergency number immediately after your child shows allergic signs or symptoms. Why should you do this? It is because some allergies may even cause death. It is always good if you can detect the allergy at an earlier stage itself. If you get in touch with your pediatrician, he/she will be able to prepare and give you a plan of action to prevent allergy.
Don’t take allergy as a simple disease. Please pay proper attention to if your child is allergic towards a food item. This will save the lives of your precious and priceless gift, that is, your baby.