The frequency of allergic diseases is increasing every year. Adults are more likely to have reactions to allergens that “leak” in the air (dust, pollen, products of insects’ life, mold fungi, hair and dandruff of animals, etc.) when children usually have allergic reactions to various products.
Fact 1. Predominantly, children younger than 2 years of age suffer from allergy and usually the disease disappears over the time
At an early age, the frequency of food allergy is several times more likely to appear than at any other period of life. That is because of not yet formed digestive system. As a result, proteins enter the blood, which generally should be completely digested in the intestine.
As a man grows up, gastrointestinal tract grows up as well, and the food allergy recedes. Unfortunately, sometimes the allergy persists from the childhood to adulthood, and also can “turn” into allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, or even bronchial asthma. Such a phenomenon is called “atopic march” in medicine.
Fact 2. There is still no exact answer, why an atopic march appears
Doctors still do not understand why some children “outgrow” food allergy, and some don’t. It is known that the probability of occurrence of an atopic march increases if one of the parents (or both) suffered from some allergic disease in the childhood. The risk of developing an atopic march is reduced if thorough treatment and prevention of food allergy are carried out.
Fact 3. The basis of diagnosis of food allergy – food diary
At the same time as laboratory diagnostics, parents are usually recommended to keep a food diary and write down everything the child ate for the day, or everything that his mother ate (if the baby is breastfed). At the same time, parents should note health conditions of the child. After 7-14 days of analyzing, you can easily find the “culprit” of the allergy and remove it from the diet.
Fact 4. Mother of a child with a food allergy needs to keep breastfeeding as long as possible
The unique properties of breastmilk help the baby to cope faster with the disease. But a nursing mother has to maintain the appropriate hypoallergenic diet. It is necessary to remove all common allergens (milk, eggs, etc.), as well as citrus, chocolate, brightly colored fruits and vegetables. A strict hypoallergenic diet should be observed until the child’s condition improves. After that, the “forbidden” products can be returned to a ration.