How To Prevent Food Allergies In Kids

Children are more prone to food allergies than adults. A child with one parent suffering some kind of food allergy is twice as likely to develop a food allergy compared to one whose parents do not have this problem.

Sneezing may be an early symptom of a food allergy. When your child's immune system reacts abnormally against specific proteins in foods we eat, a food allergy can develop.

Most food allergies tend to diminish as the child grows older, although some allergies may trail them into adulthood.

Causes of food allergies
The foods that trigger allergies are varied. In fact, any food is capable of triggering an allergic reaction, though some are more potent than others.

Cow's milk can cause allergy in some young children. About one third of these affected kids outgrow the allergy when they turn three. Other foods that often affect children include: Egg, Peanuts, Wheat and Shellfish

Symptoms of food allergies
There are two kinds of allergic reactions:

Delayed A
delayed reaction can take up to two days to manifest itself.

Immediate
These reactions are more dangerous and can occur within seconds of eating or inhaling vapors of offending foods.

Typical symptoms include:
Mild Rash, Swelling, Sneezing, Hives, Coughing, Dermatitis, Migraine, Wheezing, Asthma, Diarrhoea, Vomiting, Loss of consciousness

Take early steps to prevent allergies
Although food allergies may run in the family, different members may be allergic to different foods, making meal preparation a real challenge.

The best strategy against food allergies is to avoid foods that may spell trouble. Here are a few tips on managing risk:
- Work closely with a doctor or nutritionist to manage the problem, and avoid eliminating essential foods from your child's diet. It's important to replace the vital nutrients in omitted foods with safe substitutes.
- Your family doctor will need to know both parents' medical histories (including any food allergies), as well as the frequency of the child's allergy problem and any offending foods known to you.
- Your doctor may recommend a restrictive diet and an elimination strategy where suspected foods are removed from their diet and later re-introduced, one at a time, to identify the culprits.
- You should keep a journal of what your child eats, and when and what symptoms occur afterward.
 - Screen food labels for hidden disagreeable ingredients.
- Ensure an intake of essential vitamins and minerals that step up the body's resistance to allergies. These include vitamins A, C and E, as well as iron and zinc.

A note of caution If you are concerned about allergies, introduce new foods one at a time so that you can monitor your child's reaction. This even applies to fruits and vegetables, which can be guilty of triggering allergies in sensitive individuals.

And look out for "relatives" of offending fruits too - known as cross-reactivity. Examples include: - Plums, peaches and apricots - Papaya and pineapple - Mango and cashew - Guava and banana
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