Sometimes, some children have instant skin reactions when they consume some harmless food. This usually happens when children produce antibodies either immediately after consuming the food, which causes food allergies. Almost 8% of kids below the age of three are prone to food allergies.
Common food items that cause food allergy
- Peanuts
- Milk
- Eggs
- Tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts
Some baby food allergy signs are almost immediately such as vomiting, nausea, itching or sneezing. Other allergies are much slower and might come after some time such as diarrhea, blood mucus in baby waste or colic. Moderate or severe eczema is seen in babies who have an allergy to milk or are lactose intolerant.
Symptoms of baby food allergy:
There are various baby food allergy symptoms that can be detected in babies.
- Mild swelling signs in eyes, lips or face
- Hives in nose and eyes or throughout the body
- Itchiness in the mouth
- Irritation in the throat
- Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting
- Blocked nose, sneezing, or a runny nose
- Wheezing or having difficulty in breathing
- Blood pressure dropping slightly or more
- Anaphylaxis shock which turns out to have life-threatening effect
Food allergy rash in babies
Usually, the most common form of identifying an allergy is by noticing a rash in babies. These may appear as a reaction in babies and adults immediately when they consume a particular food item. Some develop eczema type rashes when consuming wheat or dairy-based products. Others develop hives that look like raised welts. Some welts are red in color while others are white. Sizes of such hives may differ, but they are itchy and become quite troublesome. Other babies form allergic rashes in the mouth region or on the face. These rashes are itchy and appear as scales.
Food allergy blood test
If a child has a food allergy, blood tests are often recommended by doctors. Such allergies are usually treated by the child’s pediatrician or might be referred to an allergy specialist. If the symptoms recur continuously, the doctor asks for a skin-prick test, particularly for small babies. This test recognizes the allergens on the top layer of the skin, which swells up in a short period of time. Radioallergosorbent (RAST) blood test is also preferred to measure levels of specific IgE, directed towards food in the blood.
Baby food allergy treatment
The only sure treatment for food allergy is to avoid the particular food for some time and introduce it once or twice later to see whether the child develops a food allergy again. Sometimes doctors recommend epinephrine auto-injector to provide an emergency shot. If your baby becomes allergic to breast milk, the mother is advised not to consume certain items and see if the baby then becomes immune or continues to have problems.
