Baby Allergies – What to Look Out For

If the time has come to start introducing your baby to solids you can be forgiven for worrying about baby allergies and whether your baby will have a reaction to the food you give them. Don’t worry – there are simple steps you can follow to reduce the potential problems and make sure that introducing your baby to solid food is a safe and happy experience.

Baby allergies and allergic reactions to food occur when your baby’s immune system treats a harmless substance as a harmful one. Allergy symptoms in babies present themselves as diarrhea, eczema, nausea, constipation and watery or red eyes. Very rarely the reaction can be more severe and allergic shock can occur, this can cause both the tongue and the throat to swell which can lead to choking. This is very rare but if it happens to your baby you need to seek medical attention straight away.

Now you shouldn’t confuse baby food allergies with food intolerance. If your baby has a food intolerance then they will have difficulty digesting a certain type of food. If your baby seems to be having difficulties relating to solid food then talk to your doctor for a diagnosis.

There are some simple guidelines you should follow to try and prevent baby allergies or to be able to identify the foods that are causing the problem –

1. Try and delay feeding solid foods to your baby until they are at least six months old – by then the immune system has had a chance to develop.
2. Introduce one food at a time and then wait for a couple of days to see if a reaction occurs. If you do this then it is easier to spot the ‘problem’ food and then remove it from baby’s diet.
3. Avoid foods that are more likely to cause allergic reactions when you first start feeding solids to your baby. These include eggs (particularly the whites), shellfish, gluten and citrus fruits.
4. Think about whether your baby is likely to be at risk of developing allergies. Do you suffer from an allergy yourself? If so then this can lead to an increased risk of baby allergies.
5. If you have any concerns then talk to your doctor. Baby allergies relating to food only affect about 8% of children so the likelihood of your baby suffering from food allergies is slim.

Follow these simple steps to give you the confidence to introduce the delights of solid food to your baby.