Baby Food Allergy Tips

Beginning solid foods for your baby is a big milestone. However, this comes with some doubts and concerns, such as those about food allergies.

How can you identify and manage food allergies?

Start Slowly

When starting solid foods, introduce them one at a time. This will help you isolate and identify which foods are causing problems, and which are not. Wait three to five days to introduce a new food.

When introducing new combinations of solids, ensure that each of the individual foods are ones that your baby has already been separately introduced to.

The Most Common Allergens

90% of all allergic reactions are caused by the following foods:

• Fish (tuna, salmon or cod)
• Shellfish (lobster, shrimp or crab)
• Eggs
• Milk
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (walnuts, cashews or almonds)
• Soy
• Wheat

Protein Problems

A very serious type of allergy in babies is called food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). Cow’s milk and soy can be the most common triggers of FPIES in the first few months. If the mother has been ingesting cow’s milk during nursing, the baby can have a reaction from just drinking breast milk.

Food Allergy Symptoms

Food allergy symptoms appear soon after the allergic food has been eaten. Watch out for these signs of allergy in your baby:

• Skin redness or rashes
• Scaling of the skin
• Swollen face, tongue or lip
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Coughing or wheezing
• Difficulty in breathing
• Losing consciousness

A severe allergic reaction may also be life threatening.

How To Handle An Allergic Reaction

Always let caregivers know which foods your baby can or cannot eat. Give them packaged snacks and meals to feed your baby.

An allergic reaction could be fatal. Rush to your pediatrician immediately. Ask for an action plan from your doctor to be prepared for the next time it occurs.

Food Intolerance vs. Allergy

Stomach problems like bloating, gas, cramps, vomiting and diarrhea could be signs that your baby’s digestive system is not able to process the food. This may not involve an immune system response, but the food is not suiting your baby. The most common food intolerance is lactose intolerance. Lactose is the sugar found in cow’s milk. Avoid cow’s milk and feed your baby only plant-based whole foods.