|
Is your baby susceptible to bouts of unexplained itchiness
that you thought were merely a phase or skin sensitivity? Is her nose sometimes
stuffy or runny? Is she cranky for no apparent reason and is she trying to tell
you something?
Is emitting large quantities of intestinal gas a regular
affair for your infant? Is his tummy a little more bloated than other kids’ and
does he struggle to pass even soft stool or diarrhea?
If the answer is ‘"yes" to most of these questions, read on.
Your baby might be dealing with a food allergy.
First of all, don’t panic. It’s not as serious as it sounds.
Food allergies are a common problem amongst babies and adults alike.
There are many possible reasons for food allergies. Your infant
could be allergic to cow’s milk or your child could be having some problems
dealing with solids when you’re trying to wean him/her. Here are some possible
causes for food allergies:
- Introduction
of allergenic solids in baby’s diet before four months of age
- Allergy
towards cow’s milk
- Allergy
towards other foods like dairy products, fish, nuts, or wheat
- Heredity
- Enzyme
deficiency which causes lactose intolerance
- In
rare cases, a serious undetected illness or condition
Although food allergies in most cases are merely a nuisance
and not life-threatening, parents still need to know the type of food or food
group to eliminate from their baby’s diet. By avoiding, rotating the diet and
playing food detective, we can minimize the discomfort and symptoms of food
allergies as much as possible.
First, try to eliminate the following products from your
infant’s diet.
- Dairy
products
- Soy
- Egg
(or at least white of egg)
- Wheat
- Peanuts
- Tree
nuts
- Citrus
fruits
- All
types of food additives (reduce introduction of canned, packaged or
ready-to-eat food)
- Shellfish
If you’re not sure whether your baby is indeed suffering
from a food allergy, observe your baby very closely and monitor his/her diet to
see if she is experiencing any of the following allergic reactions:
- Rashes
on face or other body parts that are red and scaly
- Hives
- Swollen
hands and feet, puffy eyes
- Dark
circles under the eyes
- Throat
soreness and tongue
- Sneezing,
running or stuffy nose
- Wheezing
- Persistent
cough
- Ear
infection
- Red
and scaly rashes around the anus
- Abdominal
discomfort
- Diarrhea
or soft stool
- Poor
weight gain
- Bloating
of the stomach
- Gassiness
- Fatigue,
headaches
- Irritability,
moodiness, hyperactivity
- Sore
muscles and joints
If
you’ve determined that your infant is, indeed, suffering from a food allergy,
try substituting some of the allergenic foods with non-allergenic foods like
apples, apricots, barley, beets, grapes, cranberries, mangoes and oats.
Other
non-allergenic foods include asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, chicken,
broccoli, lettuce, rice, safflower oil, salmon, sweet potatoes, rye and honey.
Food
allergies, as mentioned earlier, are quite common among infants and can be
dealt with easily. The most important thing is for us to detect them, minimize
reaction and symptoms, get advice from a professional and eliminate the
allergies’ immediate causes. ---------------------------
When it comes to baby care, one thing you don't want to be
is out of date. Insure yourself against obsolescence: read the latest baby care news,
articles and reviews at Magnificent Babies Magazine, edited by Lucky Balaraman,
at http://magnificentbabies.com
---------------------------
|
tweet this!