Allergies are reactions in the immune system against certain foods or substances. There is no clear answer for why this is the case, but there is plenty of speculation. One theory is that excessively clean environments lead our immune systems to focus on foods rather than bacteria. Opinions diverge as to what, if anything, parents can do to prevent allergies. Most paediatricians agree not to introduce allergen foods like peanut butter too early. Breastfeeding is known to strengthen the immune system in babies and can help prevent allergies. Some specialists believe that if the mother avoids allergen foods while pregnant and breastfeeding, this may decrease the risk of the child developing allergies. However, there is contradictory research which suggests that small doses of allergens while breastfeeding may actually lessen the likelihood of allergies in children. Before fretting over whether or not you should have eaten peanuts when pregnant, it might be comforting to remember that true food allergies aren’t particularly common, only around two percent of children have them. Dr. Sears calls food allergies “under-diagnosed by physicians and over-diagnosed by everyone else.”
Dr. Sears
“Tracking Down Food Allergies”
“Food allergies have been called the great masqueraders because they are a hidden cause of so many problems, ranging from mere annoyances to downright disease. Food allergies tend to be underdiagnosed by physicians and overdiagnosed by everyone else. The truth about their prevalence is somewhere in between.” …read the full article
BabyCentre Australia
“Food Allergies and Intolerances”
“Any childhood allergy can potentially be outgrown, but our child’s chances of outgrowing a food allergy or intolerance partly depend on what he reacts to. Up to 90 per cent of children will outgrow cow’s milk and egg allergy, and cow’s milk protein intolerance, for example, while only about 10-20 per cent may outgrow nut allergies.” …read the full article
Westmead Children’s Hospital
“Food Allergies And Eczema”
“Many children with a positive allergy test can eat that food without a problem. Removing many common foods such as wheat, milk, soy and egg from the diet is difficult to manage, particularly as the child grows older.” …read the full article
Raising Children Network
“Lactose Intolerance”
“Sometimes, symptoms we think indicate lactose intolerance are actually caused by a food allergy. An allergy to milk, for example, affects bottle-fed babies more than breastfed babies because the majority of infant formulas are based on cow’s, goat’s or soy milk. ” …read the full article
Kids Allergies
“Allergic Reactions In Babies
“An allergy is an immune system response. When a particular substance – known as an allergen – is inhaled, injected, eaten or touched, the immune system releases histamines and other chemicals that result in a cascade of symptoms such as an itchy, blocked or runny nose, a sore throat, rashes or diarrhoea, amongst other things.” …read the full article
ADDITIONAL LINKS
Dr Greene
“Allergy Care Guide”
