Food allergies in children

1. What is a food allergy?

Food allergy is a symptom of the body's immune system reacting to "foreign" ingredients in food.



Food allergies are more common in children with atopy. Children with atopy are those who often have higher than normal levels of IgE antibodies in their blood, often have parents or siblings who also have allergies, or children with allergic rhinitis, or atopic dermatitis. , bronchial asthma, allergic urticaria.


In food, there are "foreign" proteins that are allergens, when absorbed into the blood, attach to IgE antibodies to stimulate basophils and mast cells to release intermediate chemical substances such as histamine. , serotonin, ... enters the blood, causing allergy symptoms.

2. Manifestations of food allergies

Allergies can occur minutes or hours after eating. Symptoms of food allergy are often diverse, manifesting in many organs such as:

• Skin: Itchy red rash around the mouth, in the mouth or generalized erythema, edema of the lips, edema around the eyes, edema of the face.

• Gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loose stools.

• Eyes, nose: itchy eyes, watery eyes, itchy nose, runny nose, stuffy nose.

• In case of severe allergy: there may be glottis edema, bronchospasm (difficulty breathing, stridor), hypotension, these symptoms often appear and progress rapidly, severely endangering the child's life.

Some children develop late symptoms (several days after eating food containing the allergen) including atopic dermatitis, abdominal pain, loose or bloody stools.

3. Which foods easily cause allergies in children?

Common food allergies are peanuts, nuts such as almonds, fish, seafood, eggs (especially egg whites), milk... Milk allergy is the most common food allergy. Children are often allergic to milk from the first months of life. There are also fruits such as blueberries, pumpkin, tomatoes, potatoes, mustard and food additives such as benzoate, salicylate, monosodium glutamate..

4. What to do when your child has food allergies?

The principle of allergy treatment is to identify which allergens are the cause of the allergy and to avoid exposure to the allergens. From there, we must change our eating habits and be more careful in using food for children.



You should consult an allergist if you suspect your child is allergic to a certain food. The doctor will examine the child, ask questions, and may perform some specialized tests such as an allergen test on the child's skin or a blood test to determine with certainty the food to which the child is allergic.


Once a food allergy is confirmed, treatment should be initiated as soon as possible with two primary measures:


Elimination of allergenic foods from the child's diet: Elimination of allergenic foods from the child's diet is the most important measure to reduce the severity and prevent the occurrence of allergic reactions. reappearance of allergic reactions.

Use of appropriate medications for allergies: parents should not self-medicate, but need to consult and visit a specialist.

5. How to prevent food allergies in children?

The simplest way to avoid a food allergy is to eliminate the identified allergenic food from the diet. Therefore, before introducing a new food to the child's menu, it is necessary to consult a specialist, especially when there may be cross-allergies between foods.


Once a child has been determined to be allergic to a certain food, the mother should not use that food again. It is necessary to avoid cigarette smoke and keep the house clean and cool because cigarette smoke and a polluted living environment make allergies worse for children.


Soy milk, cereal-based milk or specially formulated cow's milk (with some special proteins removed) can be given to your baby if your baby is allergic to cow's milk. It should be noted that children can still be allergic to buffalo or goat milk if they are allergic to cow's milk.


Before giving children canned or processed foods, it is necessary to read product information carefully to detect foods or additives that have been identified as irritating to children.


In fact, the majority of food allergies in children will change to food intolerance as the child gets older, i.e. the food allergy does not persist for the rest of life, but when should the child be evaluated? Any food allergies? Or when should children be re-fed foods with previously suspected allergies? These are questions that mothers should consult with Allergy specialists to advise and evaluate their children.

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