Food Allergies in Children
Food allergies in children play a very big part in our modern, everyday world.
If a child that is allergic to peanuts eats them or something that contains peanuts, accidentally, the allergic reaction that occurs can be very serious indeed, hence the importance of allergy testing in children.
Because of this it is advisable for children not to take peanut butter sandwiches or other foods containing nuts to school.
Allergy testing to certain foods can be done at home.
If your child has a food allergy, their immune system responds to certain proteins in the food. It mistakenly thinks they are harmful.
Their body will make antibodies to the food and when they eat that food their body releases many chemicals including histamine to protect itself.
The release of these chemicals can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms.
These symptoms can affect the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the skin and the cardiovascular system.
They can occur within minutes of eating the food that the child is allergic to and can include:
- Tingling of the mouth and lips
- Itching skin
- Skin rash
- Hives
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhoea or vomiting
- Swelling of the tongue or throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Drop in blood pressure
- Death (extremely rare)
Anaphylaxis is an extremely severe allergic reaction that occurs very quickly and can lead to death if it is not treated immediately.
"Children who suffer from food allergy and may be at risk for anaphylaxis should carry an Epi-pen ®, which is an injectable medication that can be administered at home, school or in the day-care setting. An Epi-pen ® contains epinephrine (or adrenaline), a powerful medication that can help reverse the effects of an anaphylactic reaction."
Once administered, it is important that a doctor sees your child as soon as possible.
The most common foods that can cause allergies in children include:
- Milk
- Soy
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Wheat
- Fish
- Shellfish
Many children will grow out of their allergies to milk, soy and eggs by the time they are out of primary school.
Allergies to nuts, fish and shellfish tend to stay with them for life.
The only thing your child can do to avoid the allergy symptoms is avoid the food that causes the allergy.
You need to carefully read all labels of packaged foods to prevent your child from accidentally eating foods that they are allergic to.
For more information on home allergy tests please click here.
