Babies and Allergies

When introducing food to babies — homemade or store-bought — parents should be especially cautious and aware of the symptoms of allergies. This is especially true when parents have food allergies themselves, or food allergies run in the family.

What does a food allergy look like in a child?
It depends on the child. Some children develop an itchy mouth and throat. Others develop a rash or cramping, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Other common symptoms are hives, wheezing, sneezing, runny nose, unusual crying, rhinitis, and shortness of breath. In extreme cases, a child may develop a life-threatening condition called anaphylactic shock. Severe symptoms or reactions to any allergen require immediate medical attention.

Common culprits of food allergies
Foods that are the most likely to cause an allergy include cow's milk, soy, egg whites, wheat, shellfish and peanuts. Peanuts are one of the most severe food allergens, often causing life-threatening reactions.

There are two things you can do as a parent to reduce your child's susceptibility to food allergies and reduce the severity of food allergies:

Wait until they are 6 months old to introduce solids.
Apply the 4-day wait rule when introducing new foods to your baby.

Waiting until Baby is 6 months old
I cannot stress this enough. Babies are not born with adult digestive systems. Their little bodies cannot handle foods and will not digest them properly until their digestive systems have fully matured, at 4 to 6 months of age. Waiting until they are 6 months old is your safest bet. Prior to that, your baby should only have breast milk or formula. Waiting until your baby is 6 months old to feed her solids will give her the best chance of actually being able to digest the food. A smooth digestion means less risk of allergies.

The 4-day wait rule
When you begin to feed your baby solids, you need to be absolutely sure the food you are feeding her is not causing a reaction. Some times, it can take three or four days for a reaction to show up. If you are feeding her one food at a time and waiting four days before introducing a new food, you will instantly know the food your baby is having a reaction to and can discontinue immediately. If you are feeding her several new foods at a time and she develops a reaction to one of them, how will you know which food she may be allergic to? You will have to "experiment" on your baby to get the reaction again to each food until you know — not a wise approach, especially if the reactions are severe.

When my son was 10 months old, I introduced him to pineapple. He was fine for the first 2 days, and then got the worst diaper rash I have ever seen. I immediately stopped the pineapple and the rash went away. I was instilling the 4-day wait rule, so I knew immediately the source of his rash and was able to aid his healing by discontinuing the pineapple. To this day (he's now 19 months) he still has a sensitivity to citrus fruit.

A safe feeding schedule
The following is the best ages to start introducing allergen-prone foods:

Meat, egg yolk and soy products: Eight months
Cheese, yogurt, milk, legumes: Nine months
Egg whites, fish, tomatoes, citrus fruits, strawberries: One year
Chocolate, seafood, honey, peanuts and all peanut products, including peanut butter, should be delayed for as long as possible due to extreme allergic reactions from some children.

If you have a family history of food allergies be particularly careful when introducing these foods and be conservative when choosing an age at which to do so. If your baby exhibits a reaction to any food, you should wait a few months before trying it again, and consult with your pediatrician.

Be particularly careful when introducing seafood, peanuts and honey. Peanuts and seafood are most likely to cause the most severe reactions, while honey is dangerous for children under the age of one because of the danger of botulism poisoning. Before the age of twelve months, a child's intestinal track is not mature enough to inhibit the growth of Clostridium botulinum, which is often found in honey. No honey, in any form, should be given to babies younger than one.

Practice caution when feeding your baby new foods and watch closely for the signs of allergies. Food allergies are no small matter and should not be taken lightly.