Allergies in Children

Allergies are the leading cause of poor health in children. Allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, is the most chronic childhood disease.
Hereditary factors play a big part in determining whether a child has allergies. If one parent has allergies the chance of a child developing them is 30-50 percent. When both parents have allergies the chances increase for the child to 60-80 percent.

Many families can trace a history of allergic disease back several generations. However, children, who have no known family history, can still develop allergies. The environmental factors are the prime suspects in these instances.

The single most common allergy among infants and children is to cow's milk protein. This normally occurs during the child's first year.

To develop an allergy, a child must first be exposed to a substance that may later be considered an allergen.

Physical Symptoms
Food allergies in infants can cause many problems which include crying, colic, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes, eczema and cold-like respiratory congestion.

An allergic child usually has certain physical signs that indicate they may have allergies. One sign is a bluish-brownish discoloration around both eyes, which is referred to as allergic shiners. There may be puffiness beneath the eyes and the eyes themselves may appear irritated and red. The ears and cheeks may flush. The child may breathe out the mouth, rub the nose, sniffle, sneeze, and have congestion making it difficult to breathe.

A child with allergies may have recurrent sore throats, chronic nasal congestion, and chronic ear infections.

Because excess mucus secretion and swelling of nasal tissues usually occurs with allergies, breathing may be difficult for a child when lying down. This difficulty in breathing may cause the child to gasp for breath, or cough, which will awaken and disturb his sleep. This disturbed sleep can result in sleep apnea.

A child's ability to learn and play can be negatively impacted by allergies. If a child becomes drowsy, whether from lack of sleep or from medication, it becomes harder to pay attention, concentrate, or remember things. Because of the lack of concentration it becomes easier to become distracted.

Allergies have been known to be the underlying cause of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in many cases. Studies have shown children with severe allergies are more likely to be aggressive, depressed or irritable, than children with no allergies.

Dr. Doris Rapp, a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of environmentally related allergies, warns parents that their children may be allergic to plastic in toys. She said children can react to an odor within minutes of exposure. Some of the warning signs are reddening of cheeks, nose and ear lobes, rubbing of the eyes and pronounced wiggling of the legs.