Food allergies in children

If a child needs an artificialfeeding, then the milk mixture should be chosen very carefully and it is best to consult a pediatrician. Usually, milk formulas are made on the basis of cow's milk. But if the baby is intolerant to cow's milk protein, then you should choose a mixture based on soy milk. However, intolerance to soy protein can also be observed in some children. Then it is necessary to use mixtures in which the protein component is split up to the level of individual amino acids.

When a child is introduced complementary foods, they can alsoallergic reactions to the products introduced. Therefore, new products should be given to the baby one species in five days and begin with a minimum portion (half a teaspoon). If the child is prone to allergies, then fruit juices and purees need to be introduced into the baby's diet carefully. It is desirable that the fruit does not have a bright color. Chicken eggs for children prone to allergies, it is better to replace quail eggs.

It is better not to offer meat broths to children for up to a year,because their digestive system is not yet strong. It is better to use vegetable decoctions. Fish can be started to give to the child from the end of the first year of life, and whole cow milk should not be given to the child until the end of the second year.

Older children may have an allergy to nuts and chocolate, smoked foods, pickles, citrus fruits.

How is the food allergy in a child manifested?

Up to a year in children, food allergy is most oftenmanifested on the skin - in the form of various lesions. The child may have exudative diathesis, seborrhea on the scalp, a dairy scab (the skin of the cheeks turns red and white bubbles and scales form on it). There may also be diaper rash: behind the ears, in the armpits, in the inguinal folds.

Food allergies can cause disruption to workgastrointestinal tract. But to distinguish food allergy from the usual disorder of the stomach is quite difficult, because the symptoms are very similar: vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal colic, bloating.

Before starting treatment of food allergies,it is necessary to establish which products are its "culprits". Helps to identify food allergens special diary, led by parents. This diary records what foods and how much the baby uses for the day, the way food is cooked, the appearance of negative reactions (rash, diarrhea, etc.) is indicated. The diary helps to identify the cause of the allergy only if it is maintained regularly for a long time.

After detecting allergens, the doctor prescribes treatmentdisease. The first place in the treatment of food allergies is given to a diet (dietotherapy). In most cases, it is also necessary to take "antihistamine" drugs (antiallergic drugs), ointments, as well as symptomatic treatment.