Signs Your Baby Has Food Allergies

As your baby ages, you will begin introducing them to new foods. Many parents start with rice cereal, then move on to other types of solids, such as oatmeal, bananas, and other soft solids that are easy to digest. Since your baby's digestive system is still learning how to accept new foods, you don't know which foods may cause an allergy or not. Here are signs your baby may have a food allergy to some of the things they are eating. A list of the common types of foods that babies are known to have allergies to is also included.

Signs of a food allergy in babies

A food allergy doesn't always present itself in an obvious way. Your baby may develop something as simple as a runny nose after eating breakfast or may get mild redness around their mouth or nose after consuming certain foods. More serious food allergy symptoms include:

• vomiting or diarrhea
• hives
• large rash covering most of the body
• swelling in the lips or around the mouth
• coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing

If your baby experiences any kind of discomfort within minutes to hours after consuming a meal, you should consult with your pediatrician to see if allergies may be to blame. Allergy treatment and diagnosis can help determine what foods are causing your baby's issues. Your baby's pediatrician can then help you discover alternative foods to feed your baby to keep their allergies at bay.

Common foods that cause allergies

Luckily, there are common foods that may cause allergies in babies that you can either wait to introduce your baby to or give to your young child with caution. These foods include eggs, peanuts, fish, milk, soy, and wheat. If your child shows any type of allergy symptoms, even small ones like a runny nose or simple fussiness after consumption, try omitting these types of foods from their diet to see if their symptoms improve.

Some of these foods are recommended to give to your baby only after they've reached a certain age to help prevent allergic reactions to them. As your baby ages, their digestive and immune system matures, making them better able to accept new foods into their diet. Talk to your baby's pediatrician about the best time to introduce them to fish, peanuts, or eggs if you are concerned about allergies in your very young child.

In knowing the signs that your baby may have allergies to certain foods, you can address their problems with their pediatrician and see which types of allergy treatments will work best. For more information, contact Allergy Asthma & Immunology Associates or a similar organization.