What is a food allergy in a baby? The right menu for a nursing mother. Causes of food allergies

Food allergies is an acute reaction from the immune system to safe components that enter our body along with food. The gastrointestinal tract of an infant is very permeable to various potential allergens. The vulnerability of a child's body often causes allergic reactions.

Medical statistics provide very disappointing information: the number of infants who suffer from food allergies is steadily growing. To date, the role of the influence of certain factors as a trigger for the occurrence of allergic diseases in children has been established. IN modern world It is important for parents to know what factors stimulate the development of the disease in infants in order to create the right conditions for the healthy growth and development of the child.

Why do food allergies occur in infants?

Factors that provoke food allergies in infants include:

Antibiotics used at an early age

Antibiotics themselves have adverse effects on the immune system. As for infants, this period is the most “responsible” in terms of the development of the immune system.

Overactive hygiene

In the modern world, maintaining hygiene rules has turned from necessity into paranoia. Fearing germs, people resort to hygiene procedures many times more often than is actually necessary. Meanwhile, the baby’s body should not be completely isolated from contact with irritants that are present in environment. A child's immune system in sterile conditions is not able to acquire the skills it needs to recognize a real threat and respond adequately to it.

The influence of chemical industry substances

Many substances that are present in various means for hygiene and cleaning of premises have an irritating effect in themselves. In addition, their foreignness to the baby’s body can provoke allergic disorders, including food allergy diseases.

Poor nutrition

Modern food products contain large quantities of a variety of chemical compounds, used in the food industry to add thickness, color, and taste stabilization. They are especially used in so-called “children’s” sweets. This is done in order to create a product more attractive for a child who is focused on color and taste characteristics, and not on benefits. It is strictly forbidden to pamper your baby with such products.

Mother's non-compliance with diet during feeding

Breast milk can become a source of allergens for the baby. To prevent this from happening, the mother must strictly adhere to a special diet, which the obstetrician-gynecologist must familiarize her with.

Using formula instead of breastfeeding

Food allergies in infants when feeding with artificial formula are far from uncommon. This is due to many factors. First of all, because the basis for such mixtures is milk powder. It should be noted that for children whole milk is one of the most allergenic products. In addition to milk powder, other components can also cause an allergic reaction. Remember that the most optimal and safest way to feed a baby is breast milk, provided that the mother follows a special diet.

Allergic heredity

There is a direct relationship between allergies in parents and the occurrence of food allergies in infants. The risk of developing an allergy in a child whose parents suffer from allergic disorders is 3-4 times higher. At the same time, it is impossible to predict exactly which allergen a child will experience sensitivity to and whether it will be a food allergen.

Children most often suffer from food allergies. This happens due to the characteristics gastrointestinal tract infants, which does not yet have sufficient enzymatic activity. Enzymes are proteins that the gastrointestinal tract needs to process complex fats, proteins and carbohydrates present in food. In addition to enzymes, friendly bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract, called “beneficial microflora,” take part in the process of food processing. In infants, it is also only in a state of development and does not have a population sufficient for complete processing of food components.

Common types of food allergies in infants:

Allergy to cow's milk: whole milk products are rich in specific proteins: casein and whey protein fractions. Most often, the baby’s body is sensitive to several types of protein at once. Cow's milk proteins have one specific property - high degree resistance to action high temperatures, therefore, even boiling milk does not eliminate its allergenic properties.

Allergy to chicken eggs: protein allergens contained in chicken eggs are the most common culprits of food allergies in infants. In terms of prevalence, egg intolerance is the most common case of food intolerance, accounting for half of all food allergy cases.

Nut allergy: different kinds Nuts can cause severe allergic reactions in some infants: anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema, which can be fatal. It is also prohibited to eat oil made from nuts. If your baby has a nut allergy, do not eat ready-made products that indicate the presence of traces of peanuts.

Allergy to seafood: if the baby is allergic to seafood, then it is advisable to refrain from all contact with them, since even touching fish meat or caviar can cause skin symptoms in the child. allergic reaction. After cooking seafood, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the dishes in which they were located, because even a minimal concentration of seafood proteins can cause food allergies if they enter the gastrointestinal tract.

Gluten allergy: Gluten is a specific protein found in the structure of cereal plants (wheat, barley, rye and oats). The higher the concentration of gluten in wheat flour, the better taste and texture the products made from it have. Gluten is the main protein found in baked goods. Food allergies to gluten are very common in infants, which is due to the structure of the protein, which is difficult to process in the gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms of food allergies in infants

Food allergies in children can have a variety of symptoms, which depend on the sensitivity of certain organs and systems to allergens. Symptoms of food allergies can affect the baby’s skin, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, influence on general health and his behavior.

Damage to the gastrointestinal tract

One of the first symptoms of food allergy in infants is sharp deterioration loss of appetite, along with which the baby experiences nausea and vomiting. Food allergies impair the digestion of food, due to which the food bolus puts pressure on the intestinal walls, leading to pain in the lower abdomen, the baby cries and pulls his hands to his tummy. The state of the microflora in the case of exposure to allergens on the gastrointestinal tract improves.

Skin lesions

Perhaps this is one of the most obvious manifestations indicating food allergies in infants. Skin rashes during food sensitivity can vary. Basically, it is represented by skin peeling, the appearance of a rash in the form of red spots and blisters or small liquid nodules. The nodular rash can transform into a hard surface, which is formed from the liquid contents of the rash.

Manifestations of swelling

If a child's food allergy is severe, this can lead to swelling caused by the effect of histamine on vascular tone. Under the influence of this hormone, the capillaries intensively expand, which leads to the accumulation of large quantity fluids in the skin tissues of the mucous membranes. The most common areas of swelling are the face, ears, areas around the eyes, oropharynx, and limbs. If you notice swelling on the baby's body, be sure to call ambulance.

Eyes and respiratory system

These organs in infants suffer from food allergies less often than the skin or digestive system, but in some cases respiratory manifestations of allergies may also occur. They are often mistakenly confused with colds because the symptoms are similar. The baby begins to sneeze and cough intensely, his nasal passages become clogged, his eyes turn red, and tears flow from them. An even greater insidiousness of this symptomatology with food allergies is that the body temperature can also increase. Therefore, at the slightest respiratory manifestations in a baby, immediately contact your pediatrician, since it is sometimes impossible to independently distinguish a food allergy from a common cold.

How to determine food allergies in a baby?

Diagnosis of food allergies in infants should be carried out exclusively by specialists. During diagnosis of this disease The following points are essential:

nature of symptoms;
whether the symptoms are allergic in nature;
which product provokes allergic reactions;
how quickly allergic reactions develop;
the impact of food allergies on the overall well-being of the baby;
dependence of symptoms on the presence of certain foods in the diet;
How long does the baby suffer from allergies;

To diagnose the disease, both laboratory methods and special dietary measures are used. Based on a detailed survey of parents, a list of suspected allergens is compiled. These products are completely excluded from the baby's nutrition plan. Next, one of the suspected allergens is introduced into the baby's complementary foods in small quantities. The child's condition is monitored throughout the week. Renewal of symptoms of food allergy reaction, in in this case, serves as confirmation of the baby’s sensitivity to this product.

Blood test for a baby

In some cases, the course of an allergic disease in a baby is so intense that contact with the allergen in diagnostic purposes is dangerous. With such a clinical picture, it comes to the fore to determine the cause of the allergic reaction. special analysis blood. We are talking about a laboratory measurement of the level of antibodies, which is measured on the basis of special laboratory diagnostic procedures. A blood test for antibodies allows us to trace the cause of true allergic reactions, which develop as a result of a specific immune reaction with the release of antibodies. Unfortunately, it is powerless if allergic manifestations are not of an immune nature. In this case, biological substances that contribute to the occurrence of allergic reactions are released without the participation of antibodies and their level, accordingly, does not matter for determining the nature and source of allergic manifestations.

The right menu for a nursing mother

Allergens can enter a child's body through breast milk. In this case, the mother mistakenly thinks that her milk is the cause of food allergic reactions in her infant. In fact, errors in diet are to blame. In addition to the actual products, which may carry an allergenic potential, various synthetic substances used in the production of modern ready-made food products or semi-finished products can be the instigators of food allergies in a child.

If the baby is fed with formula milk instead of breast milk (this should only happen for certain reasons, with mandatory medical instructions!) food allergy reactions are possible due to its composition. Often the base for such mixtures is low-processed cow's milk. As a result, a large amount of cow proteins, which are powerful allergens, enter the child’s body along with the mixture. In this case, replacement is necessary nutritional mixture to one that contains protein derived from soybeans as a base. There are also mixtures obtained by hydrolysis of cow's milk. In these products, the original proteins have already been broken down into amino acids, which cannot serve as an allergen.

We draw your attention to the fact that only hydrolyzate should be present in such a mixture milk protein, mixtures based on isolate or concentrate are not suitable!

The nutrition plan for mothers who are breastfeeding consists of permitted and prohibited foods:

Prohibited

Allowed

any seafood (including broths based on them, fish roe, etc.);
all types of nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.);
chocolate and any other products using cocoa beans;
fruits, berries and vegetables with brightly colored skins (bell or salad peppers, tomatoes, currants, raspberries, strawberries, beets, carrots);
honey, bee pollen, propolis and other bee products;
citrus and other exotic fruits;
preservatives, semi-finished products and store-bought sauces; (mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise);
canned food, corned beef, pickled foods;
vinegar, herbs and spices;
products based on whole milk;
cereals containing gluten (rye, oats, wheat and barley), as well as products made from flour of these cereals;
hard and semi-hard cheeses;
sweet waters and store-bought juices;
sweets, chocolate, cookies, various desserts;
fatty meats, poultry, and butter.

lean varieties and varieties of meat (chicken fillet, lamb, veal, turkey, rabbit, lean parts of beef,
gluten-free cereals (buckwheat, pearl barley, rice, etc.), as well as products made from the flour of these cereals (buckwheat or rice noodles etc.).
fermented milk products (ryazhanka, kefir, cottage cheese, etc.);
green and green vegetables and fruits light colors(green salad pepper, cabbage, potatoes, zucchini, cucumber, etc.)
vegetable oil.

Treatment of food allergies in infants

First of all, for the purpose of treatment, it is necessary to eliminate from the baby’s diet the product that causes the symptoms of the disease. The cause of food allergies is determined based on special diagnostic methods that are used exclusively by specialists.

During an exacerbation of an allergic reaction, the doctor prescribes special antihistamines. There are no special antihistamines for children, because the mechanisms of disease development in infants are the same as in adults. However, the choice of antihistamines is prescribed by the pediatrician with great care, based on medicinal characteristics, which allow their use in pediatric practice. To relieve skin manifestations, special hormonal ointments are used that relieve skin rashes, as well as itching and other skin allergies. inflammatory reactions. As with allergy pills, ointments are used with great care. The emphasis in the treatment of food allergies in infants is on diagnostic measures and avoidance of contact with the allergen.

Food allergies and infant feeding

Since most cases of childhood food intolerance are associated precisely with the incorrect introduction of natural foods into the diet, it is necessary to pay special attention to this point. Correctly transferring a baby from mother's milk to natural feeding is one of the best preventive measures against this disease.

Mothers most often make the following mistakes when feeding:

start giving the baby natural food too early;
the food offered to the baby does not objectively correspond to the period at which its use is indicated;
the amount of natural food is excessively large;
the mother switches the child to dry formulas without objective reasons;
incorrect selection of natural food for feeding;

The first natural feeding should be done only after the baby is six months old. Under no circumstances should you give your child whole cow's milk, chicken eggs, citrus fruits, gluten-containing cereals or other allergenic foods. The best foods to feed are boiled cereals in water, lean boiled meat, and non-allergenic vegetables. It is necessary to give them to the child in minimal quantities with a gradual increase in portions.

The spread of allergic reactions, primarily to food, has not spared newborn children, whose allergies, unfortunately, often occur in a more severe form than in adults. Often mothers who breastfeed their baby mistakenly believe that in this case the child is insured against allergies. This is not true, because allergens can also be contained in breast milk. How to recognize allergy symptoms in a child, and what measures should parents take in this case?

Substances that trigger allergic reactions are called allergens. Food allergies are caused by proteins found in foods. Food allergens can change their properties during cooking, with some losing their allergenicity, while others, on the contrary, becoming more allergenic.

What is the mechanism of the allergic reaction? In response to an allergen, the body synthesizes immunoglobulins E, which activate a cascade of reactions leading to the development of allergic symptoms. Typically, allergic reactions occur soon after eating a product to which you are hypersensitive, but sometimes the allergy is delayed, appearing only a few hours after eating the product.

Symptoms of food allergies

So, food allergy is a state of hypersensitivity to food. It can manifest itself in different ways:

As allergic lesions skin:

various rashes on the body,
redness,
itching and peeling of the skin of the cheeks (sometimes such phenomena are called “diathesis”),
persistent diaper rash, despite careful hygiene measures,
profuse prickly heat with mild overheating,
gneiss (formation of scales, peeling) on the scalp and eyebrows, urticaria,
Quincke's edema (a type of allergic reaction characterized by the sudden appearance of swelling of the skin, subcutaneous tissue and mucous membranes).

In the form of lesions of the gastrointestinal tract(with swelling of the mucous membrane):

regurgitation,
vomit,
frequent and loose stool with foam or an admixture of greenery,
constipation,
colic,
flatulence.

Less often - in the form of respiratory disorders(with swelling of the respiratory mucosa):

allergic rhinitis,
bronchospasm (with bronchospasm, air does not enter the airways or enters with great difficulty - this is the most dangerous outcome of allergic edema).

Quincke's edema is especially dangerous for a newborn. When suffocation occurs in the larynx area, similar to an attack bronchial asthma. With swelling of the larynx, hoarseness first appears, then shortness of breath with noisy breathing. The complexion acquires a bluish tint, then suddenly turns pale.

There are also combined lesions of the skin and intestines, skin and bronchi. Food allergies may be the precursor to other allergic diseases: asthma, bronchial asthma, etc.

Causes of food allergies

The question quite naturally arises: where did infants allergy? The fact is that children who are on breastfeeding, food allergies can be caused by foods consumed by a nursing mother; if the baby is bottle-fed - foods consumed by the baby.

What is the likelihood of a child developing a food allergy? Heredity primarily predisposes people to the development of allergic reactions. Increased risk The occurrence of food allergies occurs in children in whose families cases of allergies have already been recorded. If one of the parents suffers from allergies, the risk of developing such a disease in the child is 37%, and if both parents suffer from allergic diseases, the risk level reaches 62%.

In addition to hereditary factors, allergic reactions in a newborn can be caused by the fetus (oxygen deficiency) during pregnancy and childbirth, acute respiratory viral and intestinal infections suffered by the baby with subsequent disruption of the composition intestinal microflora. The occurrence of food allergies in infants is associated with functional features their digestive tract: enzyme activity is still low, low level production of IgA - protective antibodies located on the surface of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. They provide local protection of the intestinal mucosa from foreign agents. And since a newborn is characterized by increased permeability of mucous membranes, allergens easily penetrate into the blood. And of course, allergic reactions are associated with disturbances in food intake, with excessive consumption of highly allergenic foods.

Diagnosis of allergies

If a child develops symptoms similar to those described above, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician, pediatric allergist or nutritionist. In case of severe symptoms of food allergy, especially with combined lesions, when there is, for example, a skin rash and manifestations from the gastrointestinal tract, hospitalization in a specialized hospital may be necessary.

The diagnosis is established using:

parent survey data,
establishing a connection between the occurrence of allergies and the intake of certain foods,
examination of the child,
blood tests: evidence of allergies high levels total immunoglobulin E, increased amount eosinophils in,
ultrasound examination of organs abdominal cavity, which allows you to exclude the non-allergic nature of symptoms from the stomach and intestines.

Indirect evidence that painful symptoms are a consequence of food allergies, evidence of the disappearance of allergies after the mother stops taking allergenic foods and positive effect from the use of anti-allergy medications.

Another fundamental question: what exactly is the child allergic to? To identify causally significant allergens in children of the first year of life, blood is taken from a vein and the presence of specific immunoglobulins E is determined. For older children and adults, the skin test method is used: reference allergens are applied to the surface of the skin (a certain standard set of allergens, which includes eggs , citrus fruits, chocolate, fish, etc.), and after a certain time the results are evaluated. Such studies should be carried out before or after antiallergic treatment.

The so-called food diary helps to identify the causative allergen, in which the mother regularly (at least 3-7 days) notes all types of food and drink received by her or the baby during the day, indicates the composition of the dishes, the features of their culinary processing, the time of feeding and the appearance of unwanted reactions (loose stools, regurgitation, skin rashes, etc.).

Allergy treatment

Treatment of food allergies begins with diet, exclusion of the causative food allergen from the diet. But you shouldn’t “fight” allergies on your own; otherwise, it can be aggravated; in each specific case, the treatment tactics should be determined by a pediatrician, allergist or nutritionist.

If the baby is breastfed, then first all potential allergens are excluded from the mother’s diet for 1-2 weeks, including industrial products containing crystalline sugar, preservatives, fat emulsifiers and artificial colors (these substances are listed on the label as and are designated - emulsifiers, dyes). Salt, sugar, strong broths, fried foods are completely excluded. The amount of dairy products is also limited. Note that for a child with food allergies it is important to maintain natural feeding.

Excluded: Highly allergenic products: fish, seafood, caviar, chicken eggs, mushrooms, nuts, honey, chocolate, coffee, cocoa, bright red and orange fruits and berries, radishes, radishes, kiwi, pineapples, avocados, grapes, broths, marinades, sauerkraut, salty and spicy foods, canned food, spices, onions, garlic. Products containing dyes, preservatives (canned food, semi-finished products): mayonnaise, sauces, adjika, tkemali, ketchup, chips, soft cheeses, smoked meats, ham, sausages, sausages, glazed drinks, kvass, beer. Limited to: Whole milk (porridge only), sour cream - in dishes. Bakery products and pasta from premium flour, semolina. Confectionery, sugar, salt. Allowed: Dairy products: cottage cheese, kefir, biokefir, bifidoc, acidophilus, yoghurts without fruit additives, hard cheeses, etc. Cereals: buckwheat, corn, rice, oatmeal, etc. Vegetables and fruits: green and white color. Soups: vegetarian and cereal. Meat: lean varieties of beef, pork, turkey fillet, boiled, dried chicken, and also in the form of steamed cutlets. Low-fat fish varieties: cod, hake, pike perch, etc. Vegetable oil. Bakery products: 2nd grade wheat bread, rye bread, unleavened cookies, baked goods without custard. Beverages: tea, compotes, fruit drinks, mineral water without gas

If the baby is bottle-fed or mixed-fed, most likely the cause of the food allergy is the cow's milk proteins (a special examination will determine this for sure) found in the baby formula; therefore, it is necessary to partially or completely replace the milk formula with specialized hypoallergenic formulas (prescribed by a doctor) based on soy protein or special mixtures in which the protein is broken down to the level of individual amino acids (hydrolyzed mixtures) - in this case, the development of allergies is impossible. But this diet also has disadvantages: a child may become intolerant to soy protein, and hydrolyzed mixtures have an unpleasant taste and are expensive.

Further, if it is possible to identify the main source of the allergy, the previously carried out hypoallergenic diet clarifications may be made - the product that caused the allergic reaction is excluded. This diet should be followed for 1-3 months.

As a result of eliminating the allergen, the signs of food allergy should disappear or decrease, then the mother’s diet can be gradually expanded (however, highly allergenic foods are excluded).

When treating food allergies, your doctor may prescribe antihistamines, adsorbents, various creams and ointments for local treatment skin, including hormonal ones; in severe cases, hormones are administered intravenously. Correction of intestinal microflora is also carried out with preparations containing bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.

If your baby is allergic, then:

Complementary feeding should be avoided until the baby is 6 months old; in addition, you should start with those types of baby food that are most likely not to cause an allergic reaction and consist of one component; Cow's milk, chicken eggs, citrus fruits, wheat products, fish, seafood, nuts are best introduced into a child's diet after 1-2 years;

remember that any product used in a child’s diet, especially an early age, can cause allergic reactions;
it is necessary to monitor regular bowel movements, if the child has constipation, which increases the manifestations of the disease or is its main cause (allergens do not have time to leave the intestines in a timely manner, are absorbed into the blood and cause allergies), solve the problem with the help of a doctor;
It is better not to use pharmacological agents in the form of syrups containing various additives (dyes, flavors) that can cause or intensify allergies;
the water temperature during water procedures should be moderately warm, and the duration of the procedure should not exceed 20 minutes;
You can use only specialized children's hypoallergenic cosmetics (pH-neutral);
It is better to filter bathing water or let it sit for 1-2 hours for the purpose of dechlorination, followed by adding boiling water; You should avoid swimming in pools with chlorinated water or take a moderately warm shower after the session using mild cleansers;
Do not rub your child’s skin with washcloths; after bathing, the skin should be carefully blotted with a soft towel and a moisturizing, skin-softening agent should be applied;
the child’s clothes should be made from natural materials; in case of severe allergic skin reactions, they can be ironed; pillows and blankets must have synthetic fillers; The baby should be dressed rationally, avoiding overheating, which provokes allergic dermatitis;
the materials from which toys are made must meet all safety requirements;
use of synthetic detergents(toilet soaps with additives, bath foams, shower gels, etc.) it is better to limit them or they should be marked “hypoallergenic”;
It is not recommended to keep pets and even aquarium fish, dry food for which can aggravate allergies;
the air in the home should be clean, cool, moderately humid; It is advisable to take more walks with your child.

Many parents wonder whether their child's food allergies will stop as they get older. As they grow, the functions of the liver and intestines and the immune system improve, which allows us to hope for the cessation of allergies to milk, eggs, vegetables, etc., especially if parents take anti-allergic measures. Only 1-2% of children continue to have food allergies into adulthood.

Allergic reactions in children are becoming more common. This is due to the abundance of allergenic products, poor ecology, and hereditary factors. Previously, people suffered from this disease less frequently, and there is a logical explanation for this: the majority of the population lived in rural areas, where the food was exclusively natural.

Now there are many medications to relieve allergy symptoms, nutrition is adjusted with a special diet. These methods improve the quality of life of children and adults suffering from allergies and effectively cope with attacks of the disease.

This is what a rash looks like when a baby has a food allergy

Causes of food allergies in children

An allergy is a response of the human immune system to certain substances. They are not dangerous, but for some reason the body perceives them as foreign and actively fights them. Allergies in children occur for various reasons:

State of the immune system. On children's body many influences external factors, some of them trigger an immune response.
Heredity. If parents suffer from allergic reactions, the likelihood that their children will develop them is very high.
Poor environmental situation. It's no secret that the state of the environment, especially in cities, leaves much to be desired. This cannot but affect children's health. By the way, there are significantly fewer children with allergies growing up in villages than in the cities. This fact is explained by the fact that rural children from an early age have contact with a huge number of potential allergens (animal hair, bird fluff, plant pollen), to which the body reacts adequately.
Intrauterine factors. Hypoxia during pregnancy, an abundance of strong allergenic substances in food, smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs (we recommend reading:). All these factors have an extremely negative effect on the fetus and provoke various disorders.

What causes allergies in children:

Any food can provoke such reactions. The most allergenic are chicken eggs, cow's milk, chocolate, nuts, soy, fish, seafood, citrus fruits, pineapples, honey, mustard, red fruits and vegetables, beef, coffee, etc. The immune system reacts negatively to foreign protein contained in products.
Medicines. Theoretically, any drug can cause allergies, but the most dangerous are those that contain sweet syrup or herbal ingredients. This reaction to antibiotics and vitamins is common. That's why many medicines for infants are available in the form of candles.
Contact allergies are caused by contact of the baby's skin with certain substances. Usually these are children's cosmetics, synthetic materials, creams and soaps.
Household allergies. It is caused by dust, hair and saliva of pets, chemicals for cleaning the house or washing dishes, washing powder, etc.
Seasonal allergies. Occurs on pollen and poplar fluff. Insect bites can also provoke such reactions. Bees and wasps are especially dangerous; their bites cause severe swelling. As a rule, such an allergy is combined with intolerance to honey. An allergic reaction to the sun and cold occurs.

Infants can develop an allergic reaction even to cold

How does food allergy manifest in an infant?

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Together with food, allergens enter the intestines, where they are absorbed into the blood and cause characteristic symptoms. Allergies make themselves felt in various organs and systems. The reaction appears 1-2 hours after contact with the substance or accumulates gradually with prolonged exposure and will appear after a few days. With contact allergies, the reaction is noticeable immediately.
How to understand that a newborn baby is having an allergic reaction, because he cannot yet talk about what is bothering him? What signs should parents pay attention to, including in older children? The symptoms of an allergic reaction are the same for everyone:
the child often cries, is capricious, sleeps poorly;
he has poor appetite;
rashes appear on the body that may itch or become wet;
rash on the face, mainly around the mouth and cheeks;

mucous membranes swell - allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, coughing appears;
the skin is peeling;
yellowish scales form on the head;
redness in different parts of the body;
diarrhea, vomiting, excessive gas formation, frequent regurgitation;
Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock with a strong reaction of the body to an allergen.

An allergic reaction in a baby up to one year old can occur to diapers, synthetic clothing or formula. This must be taken into account when determining the allergen.
Let's try to identify the allergen
An allergist will need to determine accurate diagnosis. The doctor must make sure that the child is really suffering from an allergy and not another disease with similar symptoms (for example, helminth infection or gastrointestinal disorders). What methods are used to make a diagnosis:
Examination and questioning of parents - when the signs appeared, how they are expressed, whether their appearance is dependent on the use of any products or contact with substances.
Skin test will determine which substance the baby’s body reacts to. Various allergens are applied to the skin with a sharp medical instrument and in case of allergies, after a certain time, swelling or redness appears in this place. How allergy tests are carried out can be seen in the photo.
A blood test shows the level of immunoglobulin and the presence of antibodies.

A skin test is done for children aged 5 years and older. However, it will not always give an answer as to what exactly caused the reaction of the child’s immune system. The analysis identifies the most common allergens (eggs, milk, fungi, bacteria, fish, bee and wasp venom, etc.), and theoretically, an allergy can appear to anything. In such a situation, it is better for parents to rely on their own observations of the baby’s condition and carefully consider the preparation of the diet.

Skin testing for allergens is a fairly expensive test.
Treatment of food allergies in children
To cure a food allergy, the first step is to eliminate contact with the allergen that caused the reaction. This applies not only to food products, but chemical substances, medicines, cosmetics. If a food allergy occurs in a baby under one year old, all suspicious foods should be removed from the mother’s diet (more details in the article:). During the period of exacerbation of the disease, it is prohibited to introduce new foods as complementary foods.
A pediatric allergist will prescribe medications to eliminate signs of allergies and quickly remove pathogenic substances from the body. Compliance with the requirements of a specialist will relieve the baby from manifestations of the disease. Some allergic reactions are temporary and disappear as the immune system strengthens and the enzymatic system matures.
Emergency help
When going on a trip or a picnic with your children, be sure to put antihistamines in your travel first aid kit - Fenistil, Zodak, Zyrtec, or others. They will help both in case of mild allergies and as first aid for angioedema until the ambulance arrives.

This pathological condition rarely appears in children who have never suffered from allergies. As a rule, edema develops when there have already been reactions to various substances, and is expressed by severe swelling of the mouth, larynx, and genitals. Ears, lips, eyelids and tongue increase in size, temperature rises. Sometimes vomiting, paralysis, and seizures are possible.
The mortal danger is that the child may suffocate. Similar symptoms accompany anaphylactic shock. Added to these are foam at the mouth, bluish lips, and numbness of the face. It is important in the first minutes of symptoms to give the child any allergy remedies at hand and call an ambulance. Fortunately, such conditions are rare, but parents of allergy sufferers need to know how to provide first aid to their child in such situations.
Pharmacy drugs
The selection of antihistamines in the pharmacy is very large. The attending physician will determine which drug is right for your child and select the appropriate dosage:
Suprastin. In addition to the main effect, it also has antiemetic properties and relieves spasms. This product was developed a long time ago and has a number of side effects- causes drowsiness, palpitations, dry mucous membranes, headache. Allowed for children under one year old.
Diazolin. Also a first generation drug. Has a sedative effect. Prescribed to children from one year old.
Zyrtec (we recommend reading:). New generation drug. Available in drops. It does not have a sedative effect and is approved for use from 6 months.
Fenistil. Available in drops and gel form. When applied topically, it relieves itching and eliminates redness. It can be used by children from 1 month.
Psilo-balm. Relieves redness and swelling. Used in children from 2 years of age.
Diphenhydramine. This is very strong remedy, therefore it is used for children (including newborns) only in critical situations as directed by a doctor.

In addition to antihistamines, the doctor will prescribe enterosorbents, which help remove allergenic substances from the body:
Activated carbon;
Enterosgel;
Polysorb.

Sometimes a cleansing enema is required. If your nose is stuffy, you can use it vasoconstrictor drops(Vibrocil, Nazivin).
Folk remedies
It is not worth treating a child with alternative medicine without a doctor’s prescription, because many medicinal herbs themselves are strong allergens. Self-medication can lead to severe manifestations of allergies.
Folk remedies are removed skin symptoms, relieve itching. Baths with a decoction of celandine, string, chamomile or calendula help well. However, you can take such baths once every 3 days to prevent your baby from developing excessive dry skin. You should start with one herb to determine if you are allergic to it. The time gradually increases from 5 to 15 minutes.
You can rub with decoctions medicinal herbs- bay leaf, St. John's wort, mint, oak bark. The broth should not be too steep. Treatment of the affected areas will relieve inflammation, heal the skin, and remove peeling.

Baths with a specific set of anti-inflammatory herbs will relieve allergy symptoms
Diet as a prerequisite for treatment
If you have a food allergy, it is very important to follow a diet. Without it, no medications will relieve the baby of the symptoms of the disease. What foods can a child eat:
Rye bread;
cereals - buckwheat, corn, rice;
chicken, turkey, rabbit meat;
cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli (see also:);
green apples;
butter, low-fat fermented milk products;
olive, sunflower oils;
dried fruits and compote made from them, rose hips.

Excluded from the menu: chicken eggs, cow's milk, honey, coffee, chocolate, fish, red fruits and other allergenic foods. This also applies to the diet of a nursing mother if an allergy occurs in a newborn.

Allergenic foods should be excluded from your baby’s diet.
Food must be steamed or in the oven; stewing is allowed. No need to add spices to it. Products must be fresh, canned foods should be excluded from the diet. So that the baby gets everything necessary vitamins and nutrients, create a complete menu together with a nutritionist.
When your baby is just starting to receive complementary foods, you need to be especially careful about the manifestations of allergic reactions to new foods. It is best for a mother to keep a food diary, where she will write down every day all the new foods that her child receives.
Children with allergies should not introduce complementary foods before 6 months. If the pediatrician insists on complementary feeding due to insufficient weight gain, then it is better to start with hypoallergenic products: zucchini puree, cauliflower, buckwheat and corn porridge (more details in the article:). Give a new product in the morning so as not to miss allergy symptoms, and always start with half a teaspoon. For the first time, potentially allergenic foods should be introduced from 7-8 months (meat, eggs, kefir).
If an allergic reaction occurs in the form of skin rashes, itching, redness, nasal discharge or lacrimation, you need to remove the new product from the menu. Before trying something new, you should wait about a week until the unpleasant symptoms pass.
How long will it take for the symptoms to go away?
In the question of how long it takes for allergies to go away in children, everything depends on the health of the child, the degree of damage and the allergen that caused the reaction. In some babies, symptoms are easily treatable and go away in 3-5 days, while others suffer for months and their condition is difficult to treat.
Food allergies in infants are corrected by the diet of the nursing mother. In the maternity hospital, she is given a list of foods that are forbidden to eat in the first months (coffee, chocolate, fish, red fruits must be excluded). Potentially allergenic foods should be introduced into the diet no earlier than 7-8 months. Much in treatment depends on the parents - whether all the doctor’s recommendations are followed, whether the child receives the prescribed medications, and whether he does not consume prohibited foods.

In this article:

Allergic manifestations are increasingly worrying people around the world. This is associated with the deterioration of the environmental background in the world and a huge flow of low-quality food products. Lately food allergies have become common in newborns.

Many mothers, when breastfeeding their baby, think that this automatically protects their baby from allergic reactions, but this is not so. Allergens can enter the child's body through maternal breast milk, causing not always an adequate reaction. A child cannot be protected from allergies one hundred percent. At the first serious manifestations of a child’s allergy, he should be immediately shown to a pediatrician so as not to worsen his health.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction

To identify the very first signs of any allergy, parents need to carefully monitor their child's condition. Signs and symptoms of allergies may include:

rash and redness on the skin;
peeling of the skin on the cheeks and body;
excessive sweating;
profuse vomiting;
formation of crusts on the hair;
frequent severe colic;
prolonged loose stools;
allergic rhinitis;
hives.

Food allergies in infants have now become a fairly common disease that can hardly be called harmless or easily tolerated. A persistent allergic reaction can negatively affect the general condition of the body and the condition of the child’s skin. After them are fraught severe consequences and pathology. Parents need to be extremely careful, since infants exhibit allergies in the form of a wide variety of symptoms, including bronchial asthma and severe dermatitis.

Causes

Most often, the causes of allergic reactions lie in the mother, or rather in her diet. Heredity also plays an important role. If a child’s immediate family has a predisposition to chronic skin diseases, then there is a high probability of passing this on to the baby in the form of a food allergy.

A young mother needs to adhere to the diet as much as possible while feeding her baby with breast milk. At least do this for the first 2-3 months, when the child’s body is developing. During this period, it is prohibited to consume citrus fruits, nuts, chocolate and all foods that have a natural red color. They are the ones who contribute to the manifestation of possible allergic reactions in infants. In the first months of life, babies develop food system, therefore, it is necessary to load his diet with foreign products and substances very carefully. During this period, the child has practically no antibodies and protective enzymes, so foreign components can easily develop food allergies.

It can develop due to negative influences and factors during pregnancy. Defined Processes could have caused allergic reactions in the fetus during this period. The most common factors are:

possible hypoxia during pregnancy or childbirth;
ARVI, infectious or viral diseases that a woman may have suffered during pregnancy;
constant smoking by the expectant mother;
improper or unhealthy diet for a pregnant woman;
constant stress, worry or negative emotions that a woman suffered during pregnancy.

All allergens in large quantities, which easily entered the blood of the expectant mother, penetrated naturally into the baby's fetus and gave rise to the development of any complications in the future.

Diagnostic methods

Allergies can be diagnosed using the following methods:

a thorough examination of the child and identification of various redness, peeling and age spots;
collecting anamnesis from close relatives;
blood analysis and examination;
special indications of ultrasound.

The presence of allergic reactions can also be detected through the use of antihistamines, when taken by the child, all noticeable visible external symptoms of allergic manifestations disappear.

At the slightest sign of an allergy in a child, you should immediately show him to a specialist who will help solve your problem at the genetic level, studying your family and possible hereditary factors. Before starting quality treatment, a pediatrician or allergist must help parents eliminate all possible allergens in the diet of the child and mother.

If allergic manifestations occur when a child is bottle-fed, then there is a high probability that the main allergen is cow's milk or other milk components. To eliminate allergies, you need to switch to a mixture that is gentler on the body. You should not select a formula for feeding yourself, this can lead to a more severe and advanced case. It is best if this is done by the attending physician who knows the situation thoroughly.

If for some reason the allergic reaction begins to progress and develops into choking or other life-threatening symptoms, the child should be immediately given antihistamines such as Suprastin or Claritin for children. In severe cases there is no need to wait positive result from independent actions, it is best to call an ambulance for reinsurance. Only experienced doctors will be able to give the child the necessary injection and extinguish strong allergic symptoms. With prolonged inactivity, anaphylactic shock from suffocation may occur.

Food allergies in infants often become a true test for their parents. After all, feeding your beloved little one turns into a kind of roulette. Eating some seemingly harmless products turns out to be skin rashes, stool disorders, intestinal colic, vomiting and other troubles. And other foods are tolerated quite satisfactorily by babies. Therefore, it is so important for parents to know about the presence of food allergies in the baby, specific products that provoke this disease and the possibilities of its treatment.

Predisposition of infants to food allergies

Doctors diagnose food allergies in almost 20% of babies. They develop intolerance to one or even several foods. Most often, infants develop an allergy to cow's milk, which is a component of most recommended infant formulas. After all, kids:

increased permeability of the intestinal wall (including for substances - allergens);
there are relatively few digestive enzymes (therefore, food proteins are not digested well enough, enter the bloodstream in this state and turn out to be allergens for the immune system).

However, to the delight of parents, the number of children with food allergies decreases with age. They “outgrow” it. Thus, among adolescents, only about 4% of patients with this disease are observed. This occurs due to the gradual improvement and maturation of the immune and digestive systems. Therefore, even if food allergies develop in infants, this fact does not mean at all that they will suffer from this life-complicating disease at an older age or in adulthood.

Allergenic products

As a rule, allergies, including food allergies, are caused by substances of protein nature. They can be of both animal and plant origin. Their contact with the not yet perfect and unstable immune system small child is accompanied by the release of a large number of different active substrates (acetylcholine, bradykinin, histamine, etc.), affecting blood vessels, smooth muscles of various organs, and skin. Allergy symptoms in an infant often appear immediately or soon after the introduction of new products containing such allergen proteins (including infant formula) into his diet, although they may be present from the first day of his life if there is intolerance to mother's milk.

The baby's diet is quite monotonous, and any introduction of his body to food familiar to adults is often accompanied by allergic phenomena. Moreover, if the baby is breastfed, then symptoms may be caused by components of the mother's diet. Products with high sensitizing activity (i.e. the ability to provoke allergic processes) include:

cow's milk (including dry milk, which is added to infant formula and instant cereals);
chicken eggs;
vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.; rarely, but an infant may even be allergic to zucchini);
some grains (rye, rice, barley, wheat, etc.);
fish (Atlantic cod, salmon, tuna, mackerel, etc.);
fruits (apple, banana, peach, citrus fruits, etc.);
berries (cherries, strawberries, etc.);
chocolate;
nuts;
caviar;
crustaceans (squid, shrimp, lobster, crayfish, etc.);
industrial semi-finished products or products knowingly containing synthetic dyes, emulsifiers, and flavor enhancers.

Clinical and laboratory signs of allergy

The difficulty in recognizing any ailments in infants is due to the fact that they are not able to complain about changes in their usual state of health. But observant mothers, even before going to the doctor, may themselves suspect that their child has problems caused by nutrition. To do this, you just need to take a closer look at the beloved little one. Let's look at what allergies look like in infants.

Its manifestations are extremely diverse. They are determined by the characteristics of the allergen, the immunity of each individual organism, and the initial state of the organs that are affected by allergies. Typically, clinical signs are noticeable within a short period after the baby or mother eats food (from a few minutes to 4 hours). But there are also masked forms of allergies, in which symptoms appear after a much longer time (from 1 to 10 days). The duration of a food (nutritional) allergic reaction also varies significantly (from a couple of hours to 10 days).

Various systems and organs can be affected, but the skin and digestive system are most often affected. Skin manifestations allergies in infants include local redness (often near the mouth and around the opening anus), the occurrence of various rashes (blisters, spots, blisters, etc.), swelling, peeling, scaly crusts on the head, persistent diaper rash (despite careful hygiene and good care) or prickly heat, painful itching. Moreover, at first there is a clear connection between the occurrence and intensity of these symptoms and the use of a causally significant allergen. But gradually the skin changes become more and more persistent.

When involved digestive organs Babies usually experience repeated diarrhea. Constipation, whose appearance is caused by spasm of the intestinal muscles, is much less common. Sometimes there are signs of allergies in infants, such as vomiting, loss of appetite, regurgitation, cracks or coating on the tongue, and even rectal bleeding. Due to the bloating and pain in the abdomen, the baby becomes restless, cries hysterically, kicks his legs, and sleeps poorly.

Rare, but possible, are the phenomena of allergic rhinitis, due to which the baby experiences a runny nose, nasal congestion that prevents normal sucking, and sneezing. Even less common are neurological (headaches, neuralgia), cardiovascular (changes in blood pressure, heart rate) symptoms and anaphylactic shock. With a serious allergy, the baby’s general well-being is disrupted, he stops gaining weight or even loses it, and growth slows down.

There are also laboratory signs of allergies. Its presence may be indicated by an increase in certain leukocytes - eosinophils in normal clinical analysis blood or total immunoglobulin E in the immunogram. The diagnostic arsenal also includes methods that allow both to establish food allergies and to specify allergens. Thus, thanks to the determination of immunoglobulins specific to certain products, it may be possible to detect, for example, an allergy to buckwheat in an infant.

Treatment

If children develop food allergies, doctors can use a variety of modern treatment options, including diet therapy, medications, and allergen-specific immunotherapy. But mostly doctors and parents manage to correct the situation through dietary modification. All changes in the diet and well-being of infants should be clearly recorded in a kind of food diary. It helps to discover the connection between the consumption of specific foods and clinical symptoms.

The fundamental principle of combating any allergic manifestations is the elimination (elimination) of the cause-significant food allergen from the diet. If the baby consumes mother's milk, then both the baby's nutrition and the mother's diet are subject to correction (especially if an allergy to breast milk is suspected, since it can occur not to its components, but to the components of the food eaten by the woman). Mothers are advised, first of all, to avoid products with high sensitizing activity, which have already been listed above. Only if these measures are unsuccessful does the question of transferring the crumbs to artificial feeding complete adapted mixtures. Although, of course, no best formula can compete with mother's milk.

Modifying a child's diet

If babies are allergic to the components of cow's milk, then it is advisable to replace the milk formula they are using. Treatment of food allergies in infants in such cases is carried out by transferring to mixtures in which cow's milk is replaced with goat's milk (Nanny, etc.), or to dairy-free formulas (Detolact Soya, HumanaSL, EnfamilSoy, FrisoSoy, etc.). In the latter, soy proteins are added instead of milk. At the same time, neither the baby nor his relatives should have an allergic intolerance to soy and other legumes. If complementary foods have already been introduced, then their composition should be analyzed, because instant milk porridge, butter, cheese, kefir, cream or cottage cheese can be a provocateur of allergic manifestations.

If an allergy to cottage cheese is confirmed in an infant, then it is necessary to discard all versions of this product (both purchased and prepared at home). Ready-made fruit purees with cottage cheese are prohibited for children. You should be aware that the potency of some food allergens is significantly reduced or completely lost after heating during cooking, as it changes the structure of proteins (causes their denaturation). Thus, milk proteins alpha-lactalbumin and whey albumin lose their allergenic activity after boiling milk for half an hour, so if they are intolerant, you can use heat-treated cow's milk without foam in the preparation of porridge or cottage cheese.

For a number of objective or far-fetched reasons, many modern babies are forced to become artificial babies, but the lack or absence of mother’s milk in their diet can change their reaction to food. It has long been noted that allergies during breastfeeding are much less common. Although modern mixtures have a balanced composition, not all of them protect against allergies. For children with allergies, special mixtures have been developed: preventive (low- and hypoallergenic) or therapeutic.

Therapeutic mixtures are intended for infants with severe and/or moderate food allergies. All of them can be divided into the following types:

highly hydrolyzed (Alfare, Frisopep with nucleotides, etc.);
mixtures with complete casein hydrolysates (Nutramigen, Pregestimil, Frisopep AS, etc.);
elemental mixtures (Nutrilon Amino Acids, etc.).

In highly hydrolyzed formulas, milk proteins are replaced with a mixture of more easily digestible and less allergenic peptides, which are obtained as a result of enzymatic hydrolysis of whey. The degree of their splitting is optimal for children. If, even with their use, the infant remains allergic to the mixture, then the little one is transferred to other options for artificial nutrition. Blends with fully hydrolyzed casein are highly effective, although they have less biological value and are less pleasant taste qualities and are less common in our market. Good results (especially in cases of severe allergic intolerance to soy, goat and cow's milk proteins) have also been obtained when prescribing elemental mixtures, which instead of large protein molecules contain individual amino acids that are instantly absorbed by the body.

Preventive formulas are intended for feeding or supplementary feeding of allergic babies during remission and for infants at risk of developing food allergies. They do not contain casein, and large protein molecules of milk are partially hydrolyzed. They can be found among the assortment of mixtures NAN, Nutrilak, Similak, Mikamilk, Celia. The word “hypoallergenic”/“low allergenic” or the designation “HA” is certainly added to the usual name of the mixtures on the packaging.

Drug treatment

Pharmacological treatment of allergies in an infant in the event of a reaction to food is carried out infrequently. Medications used only in serious situations (for example, when anaphylactic shock) or in the presence of severe symptoms (profuse diarrhea, severe itching, the baby’s refusal to eat, sleep disturbances, etc.). What can a doctor prescribe?

Antihistamines: fenistil, zyrtec, diazolin, diphenhydramine, etc. (basic pharmacological preparations in the treatment of food allergies they are used in the form of drops, crushed tablets, syrups, creams).
Glucocorticosteroid hormones: dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, etc. (they are recommended only for life-threatening anaphylaxis).
Adsorbents: smecta, enterosgel, Activated carbon etc. (are of secondary importance; it is believed that these medications attract allergens, preventing their penetration into the blood, and remove them from the baby’s body).
Anti-bloating medications: espumisan, disflatil, plantex, etc. (drugs for symptomatic treatment, they are prescribed only to relieve a specific symptom - increased gas formation).
Polyenzymes: Creon, micrazim, etc. (medicines improve the breakdown of complex protein nutrients, helping the baby’s still imperfect digestive system).
Calming (kindinorm, edas-306, valerianahel, baths with a decoction of motherwort or valerian, etc.).