Common food allergies in babies

Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, almonds, etc.), wheat, soybeans, fish, crustaceans (shrimp, crab, shellfish, etc.), sesame seeds.

Last week, I met a new mother at the community child care. She rushed in with her 6-month-old baby in her arms. The baby's mouth was very red and she kept scratching it. When I asked, I found out that she had just fed less than half a bowl of steamed egg white. This is a typical egg white allergy. In the past, many parents might have thought, "I'll wait until the baby is 2 years old before giving eggs." But in fact, this was an old concept more than ten years ago. Now, both the WHO and my country's 2022 version of infant and young child complementary feeding guidelines clearly state that families without severe allergies For babies with a history of 4-6 months of age, there is no need to deliberately delay the introduction of highly allergenic foods during the introduction of complementary foods. Instead, try them as early as possible after they have tolerated the basic hypoallergenic complementary foods at about 6 months of age. As long as they are not allergic, maintain the intake 2-3 times a week, which can actually reduce the risk of future allergies. Of course, if the baby already has severe eczema that does not heal, or has allergic reactions to other foods, it is still necessary to consult an allergist before trying. Many parents are still confused about this controversial point, so there is no need to apply one-size-fits-all.

Apart from eggs, the most common pitfall is milk protein allergy. Many babies who drink ordinary formula milk often vomit milk after drinking, have loose stools with blood streaks, and have eczema that cannot go away. Most of them are due to this reason. Many parents have heard recommendations from maternal and child stores that switching to goat's milk or camel's milk can avoid allergies. In fact, it is useless - the protein homology between cow's milk and goat's milk is more than 90%. Most babies with cow's milk allergies will still trigger immune reactions when drinking goat's milk. If you are really diagnosed with cow's milk protein allergy, you must follow the doctor's advice and drink deeply hydrolyzed or amino acid formula powder. Don't waste money.

Oh, by the way, there is also sesame. Many people ignored it before, but now it has been officially included in the global list of highly allergenic foods. When adding sesame paste for seasoning to your baby, you have to try a small amount and pay attention.

In the past two years, some parents asked me whether they should wait until their children are 3 years old before giving them peanuts, for fear of accidents. This concern is actually understandable. After all, the reaction of severe peanut allergy is indeed scary, but again, babies who do not have high-risk factors for allergies can try it early. Dilute peanut butter with warm water or rice cereal to a thin state. Feed one or two spoons first. After observing for 3 days if there is no reaction, you can add it as normal. On the contrary, if you keep avoiding contact with it, it will be more likely to trigger severe allergies if you come into contact with it in the future.

Another allergen that is easily overlooked is wheat. Many people think that flour is mild and mild, so why are they allergic? I met a 10-month-old girl before. She had not gained any weight in 3 months and had loose, shapeless stools every day. She went to several hospitals to check trace elements and microbiome, but could not find the cause. Finally, she did a food provocation test and found out that she was allergic to wheat. In the past, my grandma always thought that wheat germ was nutritious and added it to millet porridge every day. This kind of allergy is a non-IgE-mediated delayed-type allergy. It will not cause a rash immediately after eating, but will slowly manifest itself as growth retardation and chronic diarrhea. It is especially easy to be mistaken for indigestion.

There are also some niche studies suggesting that genetically modified soybeans and deep-sea farmed fish are more allergenic than ordinary species. However, there is currently no large-scale clinical data to support it. Mainstream academic circles still believe that allergenicity has little to do with species and farming methods. As long as soybeans and fish are highly allergenic, there is no need to buy expensive non-genetically modified or wild species to prevent allergies.

In fact, there is no need to regard these foods as scourges. After all, the overall incidence of food allergies in infants and young children is only 5%-8%, and most babies can tolerate them smoothly. When adding new foods to your baby, don't try to save time by adding several kinds at a time. Add only one kind at a time and observe it for 3 to 5 days. If there is no rash, diarrhea, or inexplicable crying, then add the next one. If you develop red rash, wheezing, or frequent vomiting immediately after eating something, stop feeding immediately. Mild reactions usually disappear on their own in a day or two. If you have difficulty breathing or facial edema, don't hesitate to send him to the hospital directly. Moreover, many allergies are not lifelong. About 70% of babies with milk and egg allergies will naturally tolerate them when their immune function is perfected at 3-5 years old, so there is no need to be too anxious.