Lots of parents find the risk of baby food allergies one of the most worrying parts of introducing new foods to their baby.
But if you follow these simple steps you can minimise potential problems and make your child’s introduction to solid food a safe and happy one.
Allergic reactions happen when your baby’s immune system mistakenly treats a harmless substance as a harmful one. Baby food allergy symptoms can include:
- Diarrhea,
- Eczema,
- Nausea,
- Constipation,
- Watery or red eyes.
Very rarely, a serious reaction known as allergic shock can occur. This can cause the throat and tongue to swell dangerously, which could lead to choking. In this situation, professional medical help must be sought immediately.
Baby food allergies are different from food intolerance. A baby with food intolerance would have difficulty in digesting a particular type of food, which can be caused by many other things besides an allergen. In either case, diagnosis should be made by a medical professional.
To to prevent baby food allergies such as these, or to pin point the food to which your baby reacts, it is important to follow these simple guidelines:
1. Don’t start feeding your baby solid food until s/he is at least 6 months of age. Their immune system will be better developed by this stage.
2. Only introduce one new food at a time and wait for a few days to see if a reaction occurs. It will then be easy to spot the “problem” food and eliminate it from your baby’s diet.
3. Avoid foods that are known to be more likely to cause allergic reactions. Examples of such foods include eggs (particularly the whites), shellfish, gluten and citrus fruits.
4. Are you yourself (or anyone else in the immediate family) prone to allergies? This can often lead to an increased risk of allergies for your baby, although not necessarily to the same allergen (i.e. the substance responsible for the reaction).
5. Discuss any concerns with a medical professional.
It is sensible to be cautious, but it is still important to remember that baby food allergies only affect around 8% of children. So try to keep things in perspective, introduce new foods individually and stay alert for possible reactions — these measures will give you the confidence to safely introduce the delights of solid food to your little one.
