Tips on food allergies for young children

Healthy infants who start to add complementary foods at the age of 6 months do not need to deliberately delay the introduction of highly allergenic foods such as eggs, seafood, nuts, etc. They can try small amounts one by one after adding regular complementary foods (rice noodles, root vegetables)； Young children with a family history of allergies, severe eczema or food allergic reactions need to be introduced to highly allergenic foods under the guidance of a doctor. Within 1 year of age, they must avoid direct intake of large amounts of whole nuts, undercooked egg whites, fresh milk, shelled seafood, and un-astringent mango/pineapple. This is the most reliable practical guideline at present. Let me outline the key points for you first, and we will explain the remaining details slowly.

I have been working as a child care worker in the community for 7 years. I just received a 7-month-old girl last month. My mother heard from the elders in the family that egg whites are nutritious, so she steamed a whole egg and gave the baby half a bowl. That night, the baby’s entire face swelled up into a small bun, and he couldn’t even open his eyes. When he was sent to the emergency room, he cried so hard that his voice became hoarse. The allergen was found to be a severe allergy to egg whites. It took almost a week to get rid of it completely.

You can’t blame the elderly entirely. Parenting guidelines from more than a decade ago did generally recommend that highly allergenic foods should be delayed until after the age of 3. Many people born in the 70s and 80s grew up like this when they were young. This understanding still affects many families today. However, in the past five years, both the WHO's tracking studies and the large-sample data of the Domestic Maternal and Child Health Association have shown that as long as the child has no clear risk of allergies, introducing highly allergenic foods before 12 months of age can actually build tolerance to the body earlier and reduce the probability of food allergies in adulthood. Both statements correspond to the research results at that time. No one is right or wrong, it is just an updated understanding.

Oh, by the way, don’t give whole nuts to children under 3 years old, even if they are not allergic. I have seen children choke on peanuts before and almost have a serious accident. If you want to try nuts for your baby, just grind them into powder and add them to rice noodles or porridge. It is safe and convenient.

Many parents immediately put this food on the blacklist when their children see a rash after eating something. In fact, it is really unnecessary. Last week, a mother brought her baby and said that her baby was allergic to mangoes. When I asked, I found out that she cut the mango into slices and gave it to the baby to chew on. A lot of mango juice was smeared around the mouth. It didn’t take long for the mouth to turn red. After wiping it clean, it disappeared half an hour later. This was not an allergy. It was just that the fruit acid in the mango had irritated the young skin around the mouth. Next time you can cut the mango into small dices and feed it to your mouth with a spoon. Don't let it get on your skin. If you still get rashes, vomiting, and shortness of breath after eating like this, then you have a real allergy. You should avoid it for 3 to 6 months before trying a small amount.

Oh, by the way, don’t just focus on fresh ingredients. When buying packaged food for your baby, be sure to look through the ingredient list. There are many biscuits and melted beans that are written “for infants and young children”, which may contain shrimp powder, nut oil, and whey protein. If your baby has not tried the corresponding ingredients, don’t give too much when he eats them for the first time. A small bite is enough. Observe for 24 hours and then feed him normally. Don’t be too troublesome. It is the baby who suffers if he is really allergic.

When it comes to allergies, the first reaction of many parents is to change to deeply hydrolyzed milk powder. There are actually two different opinions here: One group believes that it should be changed as soon as there are signs of allergies to avoid long-term allergies that affect growth.； The other group believes that deeply hydrolyzed milk powder is not as nutritious as ordinary milk powder and should not be replaced if possible. In fact, both of these are a bit extreme. Only children with a clear diagnosis of cow's milk protein allergy need to switch to special medical milk powder under the guidance of a doctor. If they only have a small rash occasionally and their growth and development are completely normal, it is really not necessary to switch to deep hydrolysis directly. On the contrary, it is easy for the child to miss the opportunity to establish tolerance to cow's milk protein.

In fact, you don’t need to be too anxious about raising a baby, and you don’t need to follow the list on the Internet. Every child’s body is different. Paying more attention to your baby’s reaction after eating is better than anything else. If you are not sure whether you can give it to your baby, asking the community child care doctor in advance is much more reliable than guessing or trying on your own~