Is your baby susceptible to bouts of
unexplained itchiness that you thought were merely a phase or skin
sensitivity? Is her nose sometimes stuffy or runny? Is she cranky for no
apparent reason and is she trying to tell you something? Is emitting
large quantities of intestinal gas a regular affair for your infant? Is
his tummy a little more bloated than other kids’ and does he struggle to
pass even soft stool or diarrhea?
If the answer is ‘”yes” to most of these questions, read on. Your baby
might be dealing with a food allergy.
First of all, don’t panic. It’s not as serious as it sounds. Food
allergies are a common problem amongst babies and adults alike.
There are many possible reasons for food allergies. Your infant could
be allergic to cow’s milk or your child could be having some problems
dealing with solids when you’re trying to wean him/her. Here are some
possible causes for food allergies:
- Introduction of allergenic solids in baby’s diet before four months
of age
- Allergy towards cow’s milk
- Allergy towards other foods like dairy products, fish, nuts, or
wheat
- Heredity
- Enzyme deficiency which causes lactose intolerance
- In rare cases, a serious undetected illness or condition
Although food allergies in most cases are merely a nuisance and not
life-threatening, parents still need to know the type of food or food
group to eliminate from their baby’s diet. By avoiding, rotating the diet
and playing food detective, we can minimize the discomfort and symptoms of
food allergies as much as possible.
First, try to eliminate the following products from your infant’s diet.
- Dairy products
- Soy
- Egg (or at least white of egg)
- Wheat
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Citrus fruits
- All types of food additives (reduce introduction of canned, packaged
or ready-to-eat food)
If you’re not sure whether your baby is indeed suffering from a food
allergy, observe your baby very closely and monitor his/her diet to see if
she is experiencing any of the following allergic reactions:
- Rashes on face or other body parts that are red and scaly
- Hives
- Swollen hands and feet, puffy eyes
- Dark circles under the eyes
- Throat soreness and tongue
- Sneezing, running or stuffy nose
- Wheezing
- Persistent cough
- Ear infection
- Red and scaly rashes around the anus
- Abdominal discomfort
- Diarrhea or soft stool
- Poor weight gain
- Bloating of the stomach
- Gassiness
- Fatigue, headaches
- Irritability, moodiness, hyperactivity
- Sore muscles and joints
If you’ve determined that your infant is, indeed, suffering from a food
allergy, try substituting some of the allergenic foods with non-allergenic
foods like apples, apricots, barley, beets, grapes, cranberries, mangoes
and oats.
Other non-allergenic foods include asparagus, carrots, cauliflower,
chicken, broccoli, lettuce, rice, safflower oil, salmon, sweet potatoes,
rye and honey.
Food allergies, as mentioned earlier, are quite common among infants
and can be dealt with easily. The most important thing is for us to detect
them, minimize reaction and symptoms, get advice from a professional and
eliminate the allergies’ immediate causes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
When it comes to baby care, one thing you don't want to be is out
of date. Insure yourself against obsolescence: read Magnificent
Babies Magazine, edited by Lucky Balaraman, at
http://magnificentbabies.com.
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