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Home > Kids & Family > Just for Parents > Handling Food Allergies Print E-mail
 

Handling Food Allergies

Children and Food Allergies

Food allergies are a health threat to some people and can cause mild to severe illness and possibly death. Infants and toddlers are more prone to food allergies because their immune systems are not fully mature. However, most of the children with food allergies outgrow them by the time they’re 3 to 5 years old.

Although anyone can develop a food allergy, children whose parents have a food allergy are at higher risk. Breastfeeding for a year or more is recommended to help ward off allergies, especially if you have a family history of allergies. However, any amount of breastfeeding at all is helpful. If breastfeeding isn’t possible, ask your pediatrician to recommend a hypo-allergenic formula.

Early Feeding

When your infant is 4 to 6 months old, talk to your pediatrician about recommendations for introducing solid foods. Most babies start out on rice cereal. Once your baby has accepted cereal, introduce other foods, one at a time. Some less sensitive foods include: non-citrus fruits, vegetables, meat, wheat, oats, barley, soy and eggs.

If you or your spouse have a food allergy, your pediatrician may recommend that you delay feeding that potential allergen (or solid foods altogether) until your child’s immune system is more mature. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you delay feeding egg yolks until your child is 10 to 12 months old and egg whites until your child is over 12 months. The Academy also recommends that you wait until any child is at least 1 year old before serving milk and foods made from milk since they may be difficult for the child to digest. Some doctors also recommend you delay feeding peanuts/peanut butter, other nuts and fish until your child is 3 to 4 years old.

Symptoms and Suggestions

Wait at least 2 to 5 days between new foods to see if any reactions occur. Go straight to the emergency room if your child reacts to a food with swollen lips, a swollen throat, tightness or closing of the throat, swallowing difficulty, a change of voice, dizziness, fainting, change of color, wheezing or other breathing difficulties.

Call your pediatrician if your child reacts to a food with vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, a tingling mouth, red watery eyes, runny nose, coughing, hives, eczema, itching or swelling. These symptoms often occur within 2 hours of eating the new food but can occur within minutes up to 24 hours.

Keep a record of the reactions, including their frequency, how soon they occur after eating and how much of the new food your child ate. Bring the record to the pediatrician or allergist to help in formulating treatment, usually strict avoidance of the food. A registered dietitian can be helpful in developing a diet plan and monitoring your food log to find hidden sources of the allergen.

If your child is diagnosed with a food allergy:

  • Alert family members, daycare or school authorities, babysitters and your child’s friends so they can help your child avoid the food and know how to act if a reaction occurs.
  • Have a child with allergies carry an epinephrine kit at all times and make sure the child knows how to use it.
  • Read food packaging labels regularly because some foods may be periodically reformulated. Food manufacturers are now required to clearly show the presence of these common food allergens: peanuts and tree nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts), cow’s milk, soy, wheat, eggs, fish and shellfish. These foods cause 90% of food allergic reactions, but allergies to nearly 175 different foods have been documented.

Egg Allergies

Although some people are allergic to the protein in only the egg white or the yolk, those with an allergy to eggs should avoid them completely so there is no possibility of some white or yolk getting into the other half.

Because eggs have many functions in recipes, a large number of commercial food products contain eggs or egg products. In addition to eggs, other ingredient names which may be on the label are: albumen/albumin, egg (white, yolk, dried, powdered, solids), egg substitutes, eggnog, globulin, livetin, lysozyme, mayonnaise, meringue, ovalbumin, ovomucin, ovomucoid, ovovitellin, simplesse and surimi.

Also ask physicians about immunizations because some vaccines are made with an egg base.

Since eggs perform so many important cooking functions, they are very difficult – and sometimes impossible – to replace in some recipes, particularly those for baked goods. Some egg ‘replacer’ products are available, generally through mail order but, depending on the function required in a recipe, may or may not produce a satisfactory product.

Resources

For more information, visit the Food Allergy Network at www.foodallergy.org, (800) 929-4040 or The International Food Information Council Foundation at http://ificinfo.health.org.