Symptoms of an allergy in an infant: how is the allergy in infants manifested?
In children up to one year the most common type of food allergy is an allergy to milk, more precisely, to the protein contained in it. It should, however, distinguish between intolerance to this protein and allergy to it.
Lactose intolerance appears usually laterinfancy and goes through all life, and the allergy to protein in children usually goes to three years of life. But this does not mean that you do not need to take any measures in this regard.
Allergy to milk in children is just a consequence of the lack of an enzyme that processes milk protein in the body.
It is not deadly, not even dangerous, but very, very unpleasant. Breastfeeding on artificial feeding more often than those who are breastfed, are subject to this problem.
In this case, allergy to the mixture is manifestedchild, and this mixture may not necessarily be with cow's milk; in the case of breastfeeding, the reason for the intake of protein in it is the use of the same cow's milk by the mother.
This allergy can manifest itself in the child 1year, and in children up to a year, and a month or three-month-old baby; but very rarely, almost never - at an older age. A similar reaction to milk in, for example, a child of school age is already a sign, rather, of intolerance to lactose.
How is allergy in children manifested?
The most difficult variant of manifestation of any allergy -anaphylactic shock, and it can be dangerous, but with an allergy to milk it happens very rarely. The reaction to this protein can be rapid or slow, and the manifestation of symptoms also depends on this:
- slow reaction is difficult to recognize. It is noticeable - it's vomiting, nausea, rash, diarrhea, lack of appetite - but it can be confused with the manifestation of any other disease or simply the phenomenon of a growing and constantly changing organism (a "three-week rash", for example).
- a quick reaction is the formation ofedema (especially swelling of the lips and eyelids), itching, dyspnea and rash almost immediately after meals, rapid regurgitation or constant lacrimation in the absence of crying as such.
The rash that appears as a result of such an allergy looks like a round pink peeling spots, protruding all over the body, but especially on the cheeks and legs.
AT In some cases, it may look verysmall watery blisters. Do not try to squeeze them out or somehow mechanically remove them! If you suspect allergies in your baby, be sure to see a doctor.
It is necessary to pass tests on the level of the enzyme,processing milk protein; after that, the allergist can prescribe either drugs containing the necessary enzyme and replenishing its deficiency in the body, or advise a different diet for the mother and child.
Do not run this state - evenharmless specks of the rash can turn into eczema, if you leave everything as is. They, by the way, should be lubricated with a cream - this is not a cure, but to rid the skin of dryness and to process, in order to exclude the possibility of infection with microbes, will not be superfluous.
Usually the doctor advises to exclude milk from the mother's diet, transfer the child to a mixture consisting not of cow's milk or generally a lactose-free mixture.
In some cases, goat's milk - in principleless allergenic - perfectly replaces the cow, sometimes you need to switch to soy. But do not select the diet itself, the doctor will cope with this much better.
In addition, there is always the possibility thatSymptoms similar to allergy to protein will be symptoms of some other disease. A visit to the doctor and the delivery of tests will resolve all the issues finally.
Author: Katerina Sergeenko
