home All hormones Food allergies in a child. Allergies in a child - causes and symptoms (manifestations). How to correctly diagnose and treat various types of allergies in children How to cure food allergies in a child

Food allergies in a child. Allergies in a child - causes and symptoms (manifestations). How to correctly diagnose and treat various types of allergies in children How to cure food allergies in a child

Such a phenomenon as food allergy relevant for young children and the first year of life. Most often, allergies are caused by eggs, cow's milk, cereals, fish, orange or red vegetables and fruits, as well as soy, which is contained in some feeding mixtures.

If the infant is predisposed to allergies, these products should be avoided. It is important not to encounter the so-called cumulative effect. There may not be an allergy to a single use of the product. If you constantly violate your diet and consume a large number of allergens, a violent reaction of the body may occur. can reduce the Allergenic properties of vegetables, fruits and eggs can be reduced by heat treatment (cooking, boiling).

vegetables, fruits (except citrus fruits), rice, meat, chicken and legumes (such as lentils)

baked goods (such as pasta, bread, cookies), fish, eggs, yogurt, cheese and citrus fruits

regular cow's milk

Food allergies at an early age it often manifests itself in the form of changes on the skin - atopic dermatitis. This is characterized by redness, dryness and flaking of the skin. accompanied by itchy rashes and sometimes the appearance of weeping areas and scratching in response to errors in the diet of a nursing mother or during the introduction of complementary foods. Typical symptoms include redness of the skin around the baby's mouth and anus and persistent diaper rash, which is difficult to respond to traditional therapy. Seborrheic crusts may appear on the scalp. Changes in the oral cavity are manifested by stomatitis, changes in the teeth (caries, stains and grooves on the teeth) and tongue (“geographic tongue”). The disease is often accompanied by delayed physical and psychomotor development, rickets. anemia, frequent colds, digestive disorders (diarrhea or constipation, excessive regurgitation, colic).

Table 7.2. Main groups of food additives and the purpose of their use

How to cope with food allergies in children?

What is a food allergy?

Perverse reactions to food, including food allergies, have been known since antiquity. However, over the centuries, questions regarding this disease have changed.

According to modern concepts, all adverse reactions to food products are defined by the term food hypersensitivity (intolerance). It is in turn divided into food allergies and non-allergic reactions to food. Food allergies are based on immune mechanisms of response to foods. Thus, food allergy is a state of increased sensitivity of the body to food products, which is characterized by the development of clinical reactions of intolerance to certain types of food, caused by the participation of immunological mechanisms. While non-allergic food hypersensitivity occurs without the participation of the immune system. It can be caused by pathology of the gastrointestinal tract, reactions after consuming foods rich in preservatives, emulsifiers, and many other factors.

What are the causes of food allergies?

Data from domestic researchers indicate that in children of the first year of life, hypersensitivity to cow's milk proteins (85%), chicken eggs (62%), gluten (53%), banana proteins (51%), rice (50%) is most often detected. . Sensitization to buckwheat (27%), potato (26%), soy (26%) proteins is less common, and even less common to corn proteins (12%) and various types of meat (0–3%).
Food allergies develop when these foods enter the body through the mouth or when exposed to them through the respiratory tract and skin.

r /> There are certain prerequisites for the development of food allergies in children: the presence of a hereditary predisposition to it and the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract of children. The development of food allergies is favored by both the functional immaturity of the digestive organs and the lack of local immunity (immunoglobulin A), frequent dysbiosis, especially in young children.
The development of food allergies is often caused by the mother's excessive consumption of highly allergenic and dairy products during breastfeeding, early transfer of the child to artificial feeding and early introduction of complementary foods.

How do food allergies manifest?

Clinically, food allergies are manifested by systemic or local allergic reactions.
Systemic manifestations of food allergies include anaphylactic shock.
To local: lesions of the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal), respiratory organs (respiratory) and skin manifestations.
Gastrointestinal food allergy occurs most often in childhood - in more than 2/3 of children suffering from food allergies. It is manifested by a syndrome of regurgitation, vomiting, aphthous stomatitis, abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea after eating a certain food product. In some cases, swelling of the lips and tongue may develop.
A common clinical manifestation of food allergy is skin syndrome. Based on the time of appearance of allergic skin reactions from the moment of exposure to the allergen, rapid allergic reactions are distinguished, such as urticaria, Quincke's edema and reactions with a slow development of allergic manifestations - contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis.
Respiratory allergies in young children are manifested by recurrent broncho-obstructive syndrome, prolonged spasmodic cough, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent pulmonary infiltrates.

How to treat?

The most effective treatment for food allergies is diet.
For children in the first months of life, breastfeeding is the most optimal. The appearance of the first symptoms of food allergy is not a reason to transfer these children to artificial feeding. In such cases, it is necessary to discuss with the mother dietary measures aimed at excluding highly allergenic foods and histamine liberators from her diet (citrus fruits, chocolate and chocolate products, coffee, smoked meats, vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise and other spices, horseradish, radishes, radishes, tomatoes, eggplants , strawberries, wild strawberries, melon, pineapple, any alcohol). And only with severe manifestations of dermatitis, in the absence of positive dynamics of the skin process against the background of complex therapy, can the child be transferred to medicinal mixtures.
It must be taken into account that the introduction of complementary foods significantly reduces the protective effect of breast milk. In this regard, according to the recommendations of the national program for feeding children (2011), the introduction of complementary foods to children with allergies is recommended for 5-6 months of life.
In the treatment of food allergies, various medications are used: glucocorticosteroids, cromoglycic acid preparations, enzymes, probiotics, enterosorbents.

r /> To eliminate skin symptoms of allergies, antihistamines can be recommended. Among the approved medications, Fenistil drops stand out, which are the only dosed antihistamine approved for use from the first month of a baby’s life. It quickly, within 15-45 minutes, relieves itching in allergic skin rashes, eliminates the manifestations of allergic rhinitis, making breathing easier. Fenistil drops can be added to a bottle of warm milk or baby food immediately before feeding. If the child is already being fed from a spoon, the drops can be given undiluted in a teaspoon - their taste is very pleasant and will not cause rejection in the child.

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Causes of food allergies

It has not yet been established exactly why children’s bodies react differently to the same food product. There may be a hereditary predisposition to allergies. It has also been noted that formula-fed babies are more susceptible to allergies than breastfed babies. If during pregnancy a mother abuses foods such as chocolate, citrus fruits, tropical fruits, strawberries, grapes, various smoked foods, or takes any medications during this period, then the child may begin to develop increased sensitivity to them in utero. After birth, he may experience an allergic reaction upon first contact with these products.

What is the mechanism of this disease? In response to the introduction of an allergen into the body, which can be food, dust, microbes, drugs, etc., the immune system produces its own proteins, so-called antibodies. With repeated exposure to an allergen, an allergic reaction develops - the interaction of antibodies with the allergen that caused their formation. This immediately affects the functions of certain organs, most often the respiratory tract, intestines, and skin. Reactions that occur in the body lead to the formation of chemicals that cause allergies, such as histamine. The most famous anti-allergenic drugs are called antihistamines because they affect its formation. Allergies affect the blood vessels, often causing a rash (the most common is urticaria), runny nose, and swelling of the eyelids. The eyes begin to water. In the most severe cases, spasms of the respiratory tract (choking) may occur. Food allergies affect the functioning of the digestive tract (loose, frequent stools, vomiting, abdominal pain, heartburn), sometimes affecting the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract (the child often suffers from pharyngitis, conjunctivitis, and has a constant runny nose).

In some cases, such an allergy leads the child to bronchial asthma. A child with allergies very often suffers from colds. The baby finds himself in a “vicious circle” - in winter and autumn he is susceptible to colds, and in spring and summer allergic reactions to the flowering of various plants and herbs (polinosis) worsen. It is also often possible to observe various skin lesions in a child with allergies, especially on the bends of the elbows, under the knees, and on the hands. These manifestations can develop into eczema or neurodermatitis. The child is constantly irritated and restless. This also affects his nervous system. Food allergies can be combined with neuro-arthritic diathesis, when the manifestations of allergies intensify with nervous excitement and various worries of the child.
It is important to learn to recognize the signs of a food allergy as they vary widely. The skin, respiratory tract and intestines are the first to be affected by allergies. Irritability, tearfulness, feelings of anxiety, fear, increased excitability and sleep disturbance are signs of involvement of the nervous system in the disease process caused by food allergies.

The time for a reaction to occur to a particular product usually varies in length. Some symptoms occur immediately after eating foods containing allergens, or after just a few minutes (rapid type allergic reaction), while others occur after a certain, sometimes long time (several days) - delayed type allergic reaction. The severity of the reaction may also depend on the amount of product eaten. For example, if a child has eaten only a couple of strawberries, he may experience mild itching of the skin of his face and hands, and if he eats a large number of berries, he may even experience swelling of the respiratory tract.

If your baby has a tendency to react inappropriately to food, try writing down what he eats and when, and also note any ailments that appear later. Such a “food diary” is especially necessary for sick children, since there is often a direct relationship between the intake of a particular product and the body’s reaction to it (loose stools, cough, anxiety or abdominal pain). Keeping such records will help you and your pediatrician identify foods that are unsafe for your child and determine the nature of their exposure. Record the time and amount of food eaten (especially note the introduction of new foods). Also note the manufacturer of the product (after all, different factories or dairies use slightly different technology for making products. Therefore, it is possible that sweet cheesecakes (without chocolate!) from one manufacturer will suit your child and he will not accept the same cheesecake from another brand. It is better to give new products to the baby early in the morning, so that if an allergic reaction occurs, you can record it (after all, at night, when the child is sleeping, it is more difficult to see the rash or other manifestations).

The most common causes of allergic reactions are certain foods.

o, for example, dairy products (milk protein is the main allergen), various sweets containing chocolate (cocoa is a strong allergen), nuts, colored (red) vegetables and berries: strawberries, wild strawberries, also citrus fruits (especially oranges), egg white soy , products made from wheat flour. Fish and fish products (such as caviar, various seafood - shrimp, crabs, etc.) are also very allergenic. Some children are allergic to all “red” vegetables and fruits: tomatoes, carrots, red apples, raspberries, peaches.

Allergies can be caused not by specific foods, but by a sharp predominance of proteins, fats, or carbohydrates in a child’s diet. Such one-sided nutrition is not uncommon for a child with poor appetite who prefers to “sit on a mono-diet.”

Food allergy is a state of increased sensitivity of the body to food, which is based on immunological mechanisms. It can cause acute conditions (anaphylactic shock, broncho-obstructive syndrome, allergic vasculitis, urticaria, etc.) and can support chronic and recurrent damage to the ENT organs (ear, nose and throat), skin, gastrointestinal tract, nervous system .

Food allergy as a component is included in the broader concept of food intolerance.

Food intolerance In addition to food allergies, it includes enzymopathies, psychogenic reactions to food, pseudo-allergic reactions to food.

Pseudoallergic reactions to food are not immune reactions, although they look very similar to them. Pseudoallergy develops when food containing histamine is ingested or when histamine is released during the digestive process in the gastrointestinal tract. For example, canned tuna and mackerel can contain high concentrations of histamine. Some food additives (dyes, preservatives, flavors) can also cause the development of a pseudo-allergic reaction.

Pseudoallergic reactions often occur in children when they are abruptly weaned and switched to other foods, or when the child is given an unreasonably large amount of complementary foods.

At the same time, medical statistics on the spread of food allergies are very varied: according to some data, 20-40% of children of the first year suffer from it, according to others, the prevalence of proven allergies in children of the first year is 6-8%, among adolescents - 2-4%.

There is an age-related evolution of food allergies: in 20% of patients, timely and adequate treatment leads to clinical recovery; in 41% there is a change in the manifestations of food allergies to target organs; in 38%, a combined manifestation of food allergy is formed with the involvement of several “shock” organs - skin, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system.

Against the background of food allergies, children develop increased sensitivity of the body to other types of allergens.

Food sensitization is often a starting point and can develop in utero or from the first days and months of a child’s life.

The occurrence of food allergies in children of the first year of life is associated, on the one hand, with the development of the digestive tract, and on the other, with disturbances in the nutrition of the mother and child.

Features of the state of the digestive tract include: increased permeability of the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract for macromolecules (including food allergens); decreased local intestinal immunity; decreased enzymatic activity of gastrointestinal enzymes, altered composition of intestinal microflora.

Symptoms and signs

Allergic skin reactions (which usually worsen in the fall) may appear as dry skin with flaky or red areas, usually on the elbows, neck, or knees. Peeling or redness of the skin is sometimes accompanied by itching, which greatly bothers children.

While parents can easily notice manifestations of allergies on the skin, it is usually difficult to directly associate various dysfunctions of the digestive organs with exposure to a food allergen. Nutritional manifestations can be in the form of flatulence, anxiety after eating, regurgitation, abdominal pain, refusal of a certain product, unstable stool.

If you are allergic to cow's milk protein (among newborns suffering from atopic dermatitis, 90% of children are allergic to cow's milk protein), prolonged diarrhea may occur; during or after feeding, the child may press his legs towards his stomach, signaling pain that bothers him. If a nursing mother has an established allergy, she should stop drinking cow’s milk and switch to goat’s or soy milk.

Less commonly, food allergies cause respiratory disorders, which can manifest as prolonged runny nose, apnea, and attacks of difficulty breathing.

Treatment of food allergies

Possible treatment regimen

Self-treatment of such a serious disease as allergies should not be carried out on your own. Consult an allergist and do an allergy test. If you have not yet noticed any allergic manifestations in your child, but the test is positive, it is better to treat the child after a second test without waiting for the allergy to manifest itself.

You should carefully monitor the state of the baby's intestinal microflora and prevent dysbiosis by using medicinal products containing probiotics and prebiotics, as recommended by your pediatrician.

To populate the intestines with beneficial microflora, three types of substances are used today:

probiotics - live bacteria of normal intestinal microflora;
prebiotics - oligosaccharides that help increase the amount of protective intestinal flora and its functional activity;
synbiotics - a mixture of pro- and prebiotics, in which the presence of prebiotics helps to quickly “engraft” beneficial bacteria and restore protective microflora.

To make it easier to understand, the table shows food products containing the main components that contribute to the colonization of the intestines with normal microflora.

Discuss your baby’s diet with your pediatrician and allergist - what products or mixtures you can fully replace the allergens excluded from the diet.

During an exacerbation, the doctor usually prescribes antihistamines, and skin itching or redness can be relieved with ointments such as Atoderm, Fleur-Enzyme, Belanten.

The most important factor in the treatment of food allergies is diet therapy. A properly selected hypoallergenic diet in the early stages of the disease promotes clinical recovery; in case of severe manifestations of food allergies, it, as part of complex therapy, helps to improve the condition and develop long-term remission. The diet must be strictly individual, with the exclusion from the child’s diet of foods that cause allergic reactions in a given patient - this is the so-called elimination diet.

For children in the first year of life, natural feeding is optimal. Breast milk contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, microelements, vitamins A, C, E, B 12 necessary for the growth and development of a child.
If a child is breastfed and has signs of allergies, it is necessary to prescribe a hypoallergenic diet to the mother, but in no case should breast milk be excluded, since allergies are not caused by proteins in breast milk, but by allergens that have entered the milk from the mother’s food.

Mother's hypoallergenic diet- nutrition should not be one-sided and plentiful. The diet should contain a sufficient amount of proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and microelements. The diet should not include a lot of obligate allergens and cow's milk (no more than 0.5 liters); the diet should not contain spices, canned food, smoked meats, as these substances increase the degree of penetration of allergens through the intestinal barrier.
When artificially feeding children with food allergies, which are caused by cow's milk proteins, it is necessary to use mixtures prepared on the basis of soy milk: “Alsoy”, “Nutri-soy”, “Similac-isomil”, “Enfamil-soy”, etc.

If you are allergic to soy protein, then it is advisable to use mixtures based on whey protein hydrolysates, that is, mixtures of free amino acids: “Frisopen-1” for children up to six months and “Frisopen-2” for children up to one year. You can also use the mixtures “Prechetimil”, “Alfare”, “Pepti-junior” - these are medicinal mixtures; when used, stool normalization is observed and the skin manifestations of exudative diathesis are reduced.
Complementary feeding for children with food allergies is introduced a month later than for healthy children - from 5.5-6 months. Fruit juices are introduced to such children from 3-3.5 months; it is better to start introducing juices with natural apple juice without sugar.
As the first complementary food, it is better to give vegetable puree, starting with a one-component puree - from potatoes, which are pre-soaked, from zucchini, white cabbage and cauliflower. Carrots and pumpkin are added at a later date and only if there is no allergy to these vegetables.

If a child often has loose or unstable stools, or if the child is not gaining weight well, you can give him porridge - rice or buckwheat - as the first complementary food; the same porridge can be used for the second complementary feeding, which is prescribed a month after the first. It is better not to give semolina and corn porridge.

From 7-8 months of age, you can introduce natural meat, in minced form. If the child does not have a negative reaction, you can give beef; if the allergic reaction to beef increases, it should be abandoned and replaced with rabbit or turkey meat.

In the absence of a pronounced allergy to cow's milk proteins, from 6-7 months of age, fermented milk products “Narine”, “Matsoni”, “Bifidokefir”, “Bifidok”, etc. can be used. With fermented milk fermentation, the allergenic activity of cow's milk proteins decreases, in addition , these products are useful for intestinal dysbiosis.

Whole cow's milk can be given to children after one year, whole chicken eggs - after two years.

When introducing complementary foods, the following rules must be observed: introduce a new food product only when there are no pronounced clinical manifestations of food allergies; start introducing a new product in a small volume with 1A-1/2-1 teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume; Give each new product for 5-7-10 days in a row, depending on the baby’s reaction - only if the body reacts positively can you begin to introduce a new product; Give complementary foods from a spoon in the morning and afternoon so that the reaction to it can be monitored.

Food allergies are most common in children under two years of age.

Certain foods are excluded from the diet for different periods, which can range from 1.5-2 months to 2 years or more, depending on the degree of allergenicity of the product and the severity of the clinical manifestations of food allergies. For example, allergies to fish, fish products, and nuts can last a lifetime.

From the diet of children over one year old who suffer from food allergies, products containing allergens specific to the child are excluded. The diet is gradually expanded with a gradual increase in the amount of the previously intolerable product. To reduce the allergic effect, it is recommended to subject the product to culinary processing (soaking, heat, fermented milk, etc.).

Preventing food allergies

The modern food industry produces too many unnatural products containing highly allergenic preservatives and dyes (read more about this in the following chapters). Avoid products containing food additives with index E - this is not for children with allergies and in general it is better for preschool children to completely abstain from them.

The safest products are also known that can be given to children without fear of an allergic reaction. These are various varieties of apples, apricots, gooseberries, white or yellow plums, white or red currants, white cherries, green grapes, pears, rye bread, oats, zucchini, beets, sunflower oil, rice.

However, if you are giving any product to your baby for the first time, be careful!

Carefully read the composition of the product and read the labels. After all, even such “harmless” products as noodles and pasta contain wheat and very often eggs, and butter cookies contain milk. Dairy products are used in the preparation of many types of bread.

If you have managed to establish which foods cause food allergies in your child, completely exclude them from the menu. Without chocolate or oranges, the baby will not feel worse, especially since chocolate is also harmful due to its high sugar content. However, eliminating dairy products from your diet is not so easy. In this case, you need to visit an allergist. In addition, food allergies may be accompanied by a reaction to other allergens (medicines, pollen, house dust, natural wool or fur, paint smell, etc.).

It should be noted that a feature of the diet of a child with skin manifestations of food allergies (exudative diathesis, weeping eczema) is a large proportion of foods containing protein. This amount of protein is necessary due to the significant breakdown of its own proteins in the body of a sick baby. Sources of valuable protein for him will be cottage cheese and fermented milk products (kefir, natural yogurt) - in the absence of an allergy to cow's milk. It should be emphasized that the amount of dairy products for a child with allergies is limited to 400 ml per day (two glasses of kefir, or yogurt, or - in the absence of allergies - milk). Lean beef, pork, rabbit or turkey can also be eaten for protein. You can try quail eggs. Although legumes are a source of protein, they should be given to children with allergies with caution.
To maintain immunity, a child also needs protein.

To restore damaged skin due to eczema, a child needs vegetable fats (sunflower, corn, olive oil). Vegetable oil should make up about a quarter of all fats consumed, and butter is also useful. It is better not to give lard and other animal fats to a child with allergies.

If the child’s condition has significantly improved for some time - there are no manifestations of allergies on the skin, a runny nose, cough and the digestive organs are in order, do not rush to immediately start giving “forbidden” foods. Wait at least two to three months and then start with tiny doses. We are not talking, of course, about chocolate, citrus fruits, smoked meats and exotic fruits. In case of the slightest manifestation of an allergy, you should return to a strict diet.

If your baby is forced to stick to a diet for a long time, this should not affect his development. After all, the diet includes basic foods (vegetables, some fruits, lean dietary meat, cereals, dairy products, eggs in small quantities. But at this age, many children who do not have food restrictions prefer to eat a small range of foods. And This is enough for them to develop normally.

Sometimes you may encounter the fact that parents do not understand the need for strict adherence to the diet. They consider this a “doctors’ invention” and allow the child to eat what he wants. As a result, the disease often becomes more complicated and prolonged. But simply following a diet in this case is almost a “panacea” for complications and the transition of allergies into a severe chronic form (eczema, bronchial asthma, etc.).

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Allergies in a child

Allergy in children is the increased sensitivity of the body (immune system) to the effects of endogenous or exogenous factors. Some doctors admit that congenital allergies do not exist. But if immediate relatives suffered from it in childhood or later, then the likelihood of reactions occurring in the first year of life is very high. However, they can appear much later.

Types of allergies in children

1. Food allergies. Problems arise when consuming certain foods. It manifests itself in the form of urticaria, neurodermatitis or eczema, problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

2. Drug allergies. This is a reaction to taking pills, injections, inhalations. Symptoms: nausea, anaphylactic shock, urticaria, changes in blood composition.

3. Respiratory allergies. Reaction to strong odors, dust, pollen, animals, microorganisms. Symptoms: lacrimation, varying degrees of swelling, sinusitis, tracheitis, rhinitis, laryngitis.

4. Cold allergy. The reaction of the child's body to extreme cold. Symptoms may include itching, swelling, difficulty breathing, and redness of the skin.

Diseases associated with allergies in children

1. Diathesis. Most often it occurs in infants due to poor nutrition of the mother, and is expressed in the appearance of diaper rash, areas of seborrhea on the scalp, milk scab on the cheeks with redness of the skin.

2. Hay fever. It occurs seasonally due to pollen from flowering plants. It manifests itself as conjunctivitis and rhinitis, bronchitis, damage to the nervous system, and dermatitis.

3. Quincke's edema. Acute reaction of the body to food and nutritional supplements, insect bites, and taking medications. It occurs in the form of swelling of the skin, various mucous membranes (respiratory tract, intestines).

4. Urticaria. Caused by medications, various types of food additives and products, infections (worm infestation, virus), physical factors (sunlight, cold), etc. It is easily recognized by its characteristic spots and blisters, which often itch.

5. Bronchial asthma. A chronic disease, the symptoms of which most often appear during an exacerbation: whistling when breathing, coughing, choking, shortness of breath. It may be infectious, mixed or allergic in nature.

6. Hay fever. Manifested by rhinitis, cough, lacrimation, lacrimation during the flowering period of wild grasses.

7. Atopic dermatitis. Symptoms include itching and skin rashes of various types.

Allergies in infants

Any of the above types of allergies can develop in infants.

Provoking factors are exoallergens (external) and endoallergens (internal). The first are contact, food, medicinal, inhaled factors, and the second are components of cells of various tissues of the body, modified by viruses or bacteria.

The most known allergens:

- products;

— mold and dust;

— feather, downy contents of pillows or blankets;

- pets - saliva and urine containing proteins, wool, fluff, feathers);

- medicines;

- flowering herbs, trees, shrubs.

Urgent measures should be taken for the following external symptoms in a baby:

- runny nose, cough;

- frequent sneezing;

- the appearance of edema;

- nausea;

- diarrhea followed by dehydration;

- redness on the skin;

- hives, rashes;

- eczema.

Important: these symptoms may be manifestations of other diseases. Parents should always consult a doctor.

Food allergies in children

If the baby’s nutrition is organized correctly, then it is likely that he will never encounter the problem of allergic reactions. But most often, certain deviations from the principles of rational nutrition occur, so the disease in question is very common in childhood.

Experts distinguish three types of food allergies:

- with manifestations from the gastrointestinal tract;

- with skin manifestations;

- with respiratory manifestations.

Symptoms of food allergies in children

1. Symptoms of food allergy with manifestations from the gastrointestinal tract:

- restless behavior, discomfort in the child;

- stomach ache;

- pathological stool (usually liquefied, contains mucus, sometimes even streaks of blood);

- eczema (allergic diathesis) may be observed.

The temperature may be normal and there may not even be any rashes on the skin.

2. Symptoms of food allergies with skin manifestations are redness and various rashes. The most dangerous manifestations include:

- Quincke's edema - occurs on part of the face, sometimes on the hands and knees; if it forms within the windpipe, then in a matter of minutes it blocks the access of fresh air to the lungs, which can be fatal.

- urticaria - manifested by itching and elements resembling blisters after a nettle burn; the more spots, the more severe the body’s reaction, which is why hospitalization of the baby is possible.

3. With food allergies, after the age of 12 months, respiratory (inhalation) provoking factors begin to manifest themselves more and more often. External signs are rhinitis, paroxysmal breathing disorders.

An anaphylactic reaction is a cause of concern. It is provoked by food and other allergens (medicines, chemicals). Manifested by shortness of breath, swelling of the mucous membranes of the eyes and nose, urticaria, Quincke's edema, changes in skin color, and a drop in blood pressure. There are nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The most severe symptoms are those related to the cardiovascular system.

Treatment of food allergies in children

Treatment of food allergies should be comprehensive:

1. Complete or partial exclusion from the child’s diet of foods that cause a reaction. If very important components of the menu must be removed, then a trial restrictive diet is prescribed for a period of 1.5-2 months, and safe analogues are selected.

2. Prescription of medications that reduce the intensity of the reaction to allergens. Most often these are antihistamines, but the specific medicine is prescribed by the doctor.

3. To treat manifestations on the skin, use non-hormonal white (with zinc) and dark (with tar) ointments. To obtain a quick positive effect, the doctor may prescribe ointments containing glucocorticoids. Such hormonal drugs are used strictly following the doctor’s instructions.

4. If there are extensive, weeping lesions on the skin, then the child takes general baths only with baby soap, once every 7-10 days. For hygiene, local washing is performed with warm water under the tap and without soap.

15-minute medicinal baths before bedtime (with decoctions of medicinal mixtures) are prescribed. After the procedure, the baby is blotted with a soft towel, and the affected areas of the skin are lubricated with ointments.

5. It is necessary to ensure that the baby’s nails do not grow and are neatly trimmed. To prevent it from damaging the skin during sleep, some doctors recommend the use of special splints.

Milk allergy in children

Milk contains protein molecules that can provoke an allergic reaction. Cross allergies are usually not observed.

Factors contributing to the development of an allergic reaction:

- genetic predisposition;

- artificial feeding;

— the nurse’s failure to follow a hypoallergenic diet that excludes sweet milk products, nuts, seafood, etc.

Symptoms of milk allergy in children

The symptoms of this type of allergy are quite extensive:

- milk scab;

- pinpoint rash;

- atopic dermatitis;

- vomiting and frequent regurgitation after feeding;

- intestinal colic, which causes the child to scream loudly;

- flatulence;

- diarrhea, often interspersed with mucus or blood;

- dehydration;

- weight loss or insufficient weight gain compared to normal values.

Treatment of milk allergies in children

The child should be transferred to completely natural feeding or use special formulas for babies based on milk hydrolysates. You can prepare mixtures using milk from other animals. Another option is to use a plant-based product. External symptoms that appear on the skin are treated in the same way as described above.

Allergy to the sun in children

Sun rays (ultraviolet) alone rarely provoke allergies. Much more often, photodermatitis occurs in the presence of additional factors:

— taking antibiotics and other medications;

— contact with pollen from flowering plants on the skin;

- use of creams with essential oils (citrus, cumin, etc.);

- use of cosmetics with dyes (for example, hygienic lipstick with eosin);

- use of antiseptics (wet wipes)

- some internal diseases;

— residues of detergents;

- prolonged exposure to the sun.

Symptoms of sun allergy in children

Literally after a couple of hours under the sun’s rays, the child exhibits symptoms of photodermatosis:

- itching and tingling;

- small red rashes, they slightly peel and itch.

- possible swelling;

- blisters may occur on light, sensitive skin (they cannot be pierced).

The rashes are localized on open areas of the body, most often on the head. To clarify the diagnosis and care instructions for the child, you need to visit a doctor.

Treatment of sun allergies in children

For photodermatitis, sun exposure should be reduced to zero. You should not sunbathe until the redness and rash disappear. To relieve itching, special products are recommended that are safe even for one-month-old babies.

To clarify the causes of allergic irritation, the child must be shown to a doctor. It is better to wear closed clothes on your baby so that the sun's rays do not hit the skin.

Allergy to insect bites in children

A child with hypersensitivity may have a severe allergic reaction to insect bites, especially hymenoptera:

- mosquito;

- hornet;

Symptoms of allergy to insect bites in children

If the child is healthy, an insect bite is manifested by itching, local swelling and redness, which disappear within 24 hours. In a baby with a predisposition to an allergic reaction, these symptoms last up to 48 hours or more, and the swelling will spread to the area between a pair of joints.

The most dangerous situation is the development of an anaphylactic reaction:

- redness of the skin;

- itching, urticaria;

- Quincke's edema;

- nausea and vomiting;

- abdominal pain, diarrhea.

If help is not provided in time, death is possible.

Treatment of allergies to insect bites in children

It is necessary to exclude the baby from staying in places where it is possible to encounter insects.

If a bee stings, you need to remove the remaining sting with tweezers. Apply a piece of ice or a towel soaked in cold water to the bite site.

If an anaphylactic reaction has previously been observed in a child, then there should be a special kit at home against the venom of stinging insects (a disposable syringe tube with adrenaline and an antihistamine).

Allergy to cats in children

An allergic reaction is caused not so much by the pet’s fur, but by the proteins in its saliva, urine, and epidermis. In addition, it brings other allergens from the street - particles of mold, pollen, fluff. With reduced immunity and predisposition, the child may react acutely to contact with provoking factors.

Symptoms of cat allergy in children

Symptoms can appear in combination or individually:

- tearfulness and redness of the eyes;

- difficulty breathing, possibly with extraneous noise;

- unexpected lethargy, drowsiness, irritation;

— redness and irritation on the skin after contact with a pet;

- frequent sneezing when a cat appears;

- constant nasal congestion.

Treatment of allergies to cats in children

If symptoms occur, you should consult a doctor. The allergist will prescribe treatment, which includes taking antihistamines, decongestants, using local remedies to relieve symptoms - eye drops, nasal drops, etc.

For prevention, you need to keep the animals in another room, do wet cleaning every day, ventilate the room often, wash the cat regularly, remove the carpets, replacing them with washable coverings.

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Causes of allergies

There are several main reasons that can cause allergies in children 2-3 years old. Some of them were mentioned earlier, but in order to better understand the information, we will collect all the factors in one list:

There are many causes of allergies. It is almost impossible to exclude them all. Therefore, the main task for parents is to detect an allergic reaction in time and take the child to a doctor.

The most common types of allergies in children

Children aged 2 years most often develop food allergies. A number of products can cause it. These are citrus fruits, chocolate, fruits, honey - children consume them in large quantities. Mushrooms, which are strictly forbidden to be given to a small child in any form, can also cause an unexpected reaction in the body. Only the main products that have the highest level of risk of allergies are listed, but in fact, any food product can cause it in a child if there is an intolerance to them.

In children, food allergies can occur as a result of overfeeding, because it provokes the development of fermentation processes in the stomach, during which a large amount of toxins enters the blood. Therefore, you should not force your baby to eat if he does not want to, force feed him.

Medicines are also becoming a common cause of allergic reactions in children. This is often due to a violation of the dosage or incorrect selection of medication according to age. Therefore, in no case should you give your child medications at your own discretion, but only as prescribed by a doctor.

Allergies to pet hair and dust are also quite common among children. Of course, they love dogs, cats and parrots, but if the first signs of an allergic reaction appear, you should think about holding off on pets. If you already have them in the house, it is better to give them to friends to avoid the allergy becoming chronic.

Another factor that can lead to an unexpected reaction in a child’s body is insect bites. Children at 2 years old are very active, they do not always understand how to behave on the street, so they often find themselves in unexpected situations. Allergies can be caused by the bites of a bee, wasp, tick, or any other insect.

Allergies to insect bites are considered one of the most dangerous types, because their poison or saliva, containing dangerous enzymes, spread throughout the body instantly. Symptoms increase very quickly, the child’s condition worsens, requiring emergency medical care. If your baby is prone to allergies, it is better to always carry an antihistamine with you.

Allergy symptoms

The clinical picture of allergies in children 2 years old is quite clear, so it will not be difficult to notice the symptoms. These may be manifestations such as:

These are the main symptoms of an allergic reaction that develop in a 2-year-old child or a person of any other age. If you have some symptoms, you should definitely seek medical help to get quick and effective treatment.

Diagnostics and its main methods

Given the tendency of a child’s body to unexpected reactions to various substances, determining the cause of an allergy can be quite difficult. In order to do this, it is necessary to conduct a thorough examination of the child, which begins with collecting an anamnesis. At this stage, parents should provide the doctor with maximum information regarding all innovations in the baby’s diet and routine, tell about the medications he took, if any, and show the immunization card. At that stage, it is already possible to guess what substance caused such a reaction in the body.

Next is a blood test. It can be used to determine the level of immunoglobulin E, the main indicator of the presence of allergies. If the level of this protein is elevated, the child will have to undergo skin allergy tests to accurately identify the allergen. By the way, after treatment, after about 2 years, it is recommended to repeat the tests in order to assess the condition of the body and check its sensitivity to specific allergens.

Treatment and its rules

In order for the treatment to be successful, the baby must be protected from contact with the allergen for at least 2-3 years. After this time, the allergy may go away without a trace. But for now, you should be extremely careful, because repeated entry into the body of this substance can provoke the appearance of more serious and dangerous symptoms.

If a child has an allergy caused by any product or medication, it is advisable to give the baby a sorbent, for example, Polysorb. It will help remove the allergen from the body as soon as possible and make existing symptoms less acute.

Next is taking antihistamines, which can improve the overall clinical picture and the child’s condition. Most often, children 2 years old are prescribed third-generation drugs, which are considered no less effective than other antihistamines, but turn out to be safer.

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As you get older, the manifestations of the disease become more and more dangerous, and if not promptly treated, they can remain for life or develop into bronchial asthma and autoimmune pathologies. It is difficult to recognize allergic symptoms at home, since they are similar to many other childhood diseases. What to do if a child has an allergy and how to treat it will be discussed further.

What is childhood allergy

Allergy is the hypersensitivity of the immune system to repeated exposure to an allergen on an organism previously sensitized by it.

Causes of allergies in children

The same factors can have different effects on children. Some babies respond to potential allergens with an immune response, others do not. Children are most prone to allergic reactions with:

Any product, medication or household chemical can trigger an immune response. The following allergens are considered the most dangerous in terms of reaction development:

dust and dust mites;
vaccines;
mold fungi;
pollen;
medications: sulfonamides, antibiotics, local anesthetics;
food: red vegetables and fruits, nuts, seafood, milk, eggs, legumes, citrus fruits, cereals, honey;
wasp and bee stings;
dust mites, cockroaches, animal hair;
chemicals: washing powders, conditioners, soaps, shower gels, scented shampoos.

There are some features of the disease at different ages. Children in the first year of life are more prone to food and contact allergies (to hygiene products, urine, feces, diapers). Reactions to pollen and pet dander are more common in children aged 2–5 years. Allergies to medications are more common in early and preschool years than in adolescence.

Allergies in newborns in most cases are the result of bad habits or the mother’s failure to comply with a low-allergen diet during pregnancy.

Types of allergies in children

The most common types of allergies in childhood are:

Food allergy – occurs as a result of consuming allergenic foods.
Drug – the reaction of the immune system to taking various medications. Often combined with a food reaction.
Respiratory - develops when an allergen is inhaled.
Hay fever, autumn allergies or hay fever - appears annually when certain plants bloom.
Quincke's edema - can occur in response to a strong food, drug irritant or insect bite.
Urticaria is an allergic reaction to any skin irritant.
Cold allergy is a reaction to cold, manifested by difficulty breathing, itching and redness of the skin.
Sun allergy - develops with prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays on unprotected children's skin.
Atopic dermatitis is a manifestation of an immune response on the part of the skin.
Diathesis – most typical for newborns, appears in the form of diaper rash, scabs on the cheeks, and seborrhea.

Symptoms and signs of allergies in children

The manifestations of the disease are different, so allergies can easily be confused with a number of other pathologies. Symptoms can occur from the respiratory, digestive system, and skin. Often the reactions of several organs or systems occur together. When exposed to strong allergens, immediate reactions may develop.

Manifestations from the respiratory system

Most often, catarrhal phenomena occur when an allergen enters the respiratory tract. The most common triggers for respiratory allergies are gases, pollen, fine dust and pet dander. Symptoms:

sneezing;
rhinitis;
allergic swelling of the nose;
itching or burning in the nose;
suffocation, shortness of breath, obsessive cough;
wheezing in the lungs;
bronchial asthma.

How does the reaction manifest on the skin?

Dermatosis is manifested by various irritations and rashes on the skin of any part of the body. More often, allergies appear on the cheeks, buttocks, back, abdomen, hands, legs, head, and around the mouth. Less commonly, rashes can be seen in the groin, on the testicles, armpits, behind the knees, on the palms and soles, and behind the ears. Skin changes are provoked by contact (household chemicals, insect bites), food and drug allergens. Main features:

What does allergic conjunctivitis look like?

Signs of damage to the mucous membrane of the eyes:

Manifestations from the gastrointestinal tract

Most often they appear with drug and food allergies:

Anaphylactic shock

The most dangerous manifestation of allergies. Occurs after an insect bite or taking a medicinal allergen. Symptoms develop from a few seconds to 5 hours from the moment of penetration of the allergen:

sudden shortness of breath;
loss of consciousness;
convulsions;
rash on the body;
involuntary defecation, vomiting, urination.

What are the dangers of allergies in children?

The most dangerous complication of contact with an allergen is a severe allergic reaction in the form of anaphylactic shock or Quincke's edema. Young children are prone to developing atopic dermatitis. Older children may develop bronchial asthma.

If left untreated, severe allergies can be fatal.

Diagnostics: how to find out what your child is allergic to

An allergic reaction is a reason to consult a pediatrician or allergist. To establish a diagnosis and identify the irritant, examination alone is not enough. The disease can be confirmed using various tests and allergy tests:

How to cure allergies

Before starting specific treatment, it is necessary to eliminate the allergen. In case of food hypersensitivity, it is necessary to follow a hypoallergenic diet for a nursing woman and an infant. Complementary feeding is postponed for the period of treatment. For bottle-fed children, it is recommended to introduce hypoallergenic formulas.

How to cure allergies: medications

Drug treatment is aimed at eliminating the allergic reaction and reducing its symptoms. The following groups of allergy medications may be used:

Antihistamines – block or reduce the production of histamine. Available in various dosage forms. Tablets for systemic use, ointments for relieving skin itching and inflammation, drops for the treatment of conjunctivitis or rhinitis of allergic etiology. Names of drugs:

Decongestants are used primarily to combat allergic rhinitis and hay fever. Names:

Xylometazoline;
Oxymetazoline.

Hormonal drugs - used for severe forms of allergies:

Dexamethasone;
Prednisolone.

Homeopathy - drugs are selected exclusively by a homeopathic doctor depending on the type of allergic reaction, the prevailing symptoms, the age of the child and his physiological characteristics. Preparations:

Sulfur 6;
Rus 3;
Belladonna 3, 6;
Antimonium Crudum 3, 6.

The most effective method of treating the disease is SIT - specific immunotherapy. The method is based on the gradual introduction of increasing doses of the allergen until the body loses sensitivity to it.

Prevention of allergic reactions

If your baby is predisposed to allergic diseases, the following preventive measures must be observed:

prolong breastfeeding as much as possible;
eliminate food allergens;
introduce complementary foods carefully, according to the pediatrician’s recommendations;
frequently carry out wet cleaning;
eliminate smoking indoors;
limit the child’s contact with animals;
use hypoallergenic household chemicals and cosmetics for child care. The natural hypoallergenic laundry detergent Soap Nuts has proven itself well;
select underwear and clothes for the baby from natural materials;
regularly carry out antifungal treatment in the premises.

At an early age, the results of allergy tests may be false negative, which is due to the property of allergic reactions to occur after prolonged (sometimes many years) contact with an irritant.
Fever with allergies is an uncharacteristic phenomenon. Fever against the background of an established diagnosis may indicate concomitant inflammation. Temperature may also indicate a viral allergy, when the body reacts to infection with a virus not only with an immune response, but also with an allergic reaction. If the diagnosis of an allergy in a child is in question, then rashes, dyspeptic symptoms and fever may indicate an infectious disease in the baby.
You can relieve itching due to allergies in a small child using a series - a safe anti-inflammatory and sedative. The series can be taken orally, bathe the child in a bath with a decoction of herbs, or lubricate the affected areas of the skin with it.

Allergies are an unpleasant phenomenon for both children and parents. Symptoms of the disease cause significant physical discomfort to the child and determine the characteristics of his care. With timely treatment of allergic reactions, the risk of them persisting for life is significantly reduced.

Send reply

My son was allergic to the pool when he was 4 years old. Or rather, water that has been purified with bleach. After training I became covered in spots. The sensitivity went away after a few years, although we also changed the place of training.

My daughter had a rash during the introduction of complementary foods. There are still reactions to some products. It was difficult, I didn’t even know what to feed the child, I even had it on buckwheat porridge. We periodically take antihistamines, I hope it goes away with age.

My child was allergic from birth, over time the situation improved a little, but still his body continued to react sharply. Usually they were always saved by antihistamines (loratadine, diazolin). Recently the situation really got worse, I decided to take the child to a doctor, just a different one. So we set off. The occurrence of allergies has decreased significantly.

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Just awful. My friend gave birth. Twins girl diag.

Hello, this kind of consultation is prohibited via the Internet.

Hello, valuable doctors and experienced MOMS with similar problems.

Even during pregnancy, I was prescribed Metrogyl Plus, whatever.

My child was allergic from birth, but over time the situation became worse.

The information on our website is not a guide to self-diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

The site administration is not responsible for the use of information. If you have symptoms of illness, contact your doctor.

How to treat allergies in a child and eliminate the causes of the disease

Allergy in children is a pressing problem in modern allergology and immunology. For parents of a child with allergies, it is first of all important to know the factors that influence the development of allergic diseases. This will help prevent chronic complications and dangerous consequences.

The World Health Organization calls allergies “the disease of the 21st century.” Unfortunately, in Russia, allergies are still not perceived as a serious disease. And parents are in no hurry to examine a child with obvious allergic signs. Meanwhile, the number of Russian children suffering from various types of allergies is growing rapidly every year. The increase in morbidity is influenced by changes in the quality of nutrition, lifestyle, air and water pollution, poor hygiene in residential premises, an abundance of hygiene and cosmetic products, household chemicals, and frequent use of medications.

Signs of allergies

How do allergy symptoms appear on the skin in children?

Rashes. They can be of different types: redness, small rash, hives. The skin becomes dry and rough. With a long process, thickening and keratinization of some areas of the skin may occur. Also, after scratching, weeping wounds, cracks, ulcers, and eczema on the skin may appear. This is what chronic allergies look like in children, with signs of an inflammatory process that requires drug treatment.
Swelling. Occurs during an acute, immediate allergic reaction, for example, after an insect bite, taking medication, or, less often, after some kind of dish. Severe swelling due to allergies is called Quincke's edema. First of all, the lips, eyelids, cheeks, mucous membranes of the mouth and genitals swell. With such signs, emergency help is required.
Itching, burning. This is one of the most unpleasant symptoms. The itching can be severe, the child scratches the skin, and this can lead to bacterial infection and a long healing process.

How do allergies to mucous membranes manifest in children?

Rhinitis. With allergic rhinitis, difficulty breathing through the nose, nasal congestion, swelling, and dry mucous membranes are observed. There may also be copious, clear nasal discharge.
Conjunctivitis. Signs of allergic conjunctivitis: redness, lacrimation, pain in the eyes.
Cough. The child may complain of a sore throat, which causes a cough. A dangerous symptom of allergies is hoarseness and difficulty breathing, which may be associated with swelling of the laryngeal mucosa.

Respiratory symptoms are most often provoked by plant, animal, food, medicinal, and chemical allergens.

Signs of allergies in a child from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT):

bloating, colic, rumbling in the intestines;
abdominal pain, nausea;
belching, vomiting, heartburn;
diarrhea or constipation;
signs of dysbiosis.

When does a child have a fever due to allergies?

Insect bites.
Reaction to food.
Drug intolerance.
Pollen intolerance.

In most cases, with allergies, there is no temperature or a low-grade fever is noted - it does not rise above 37.5 °C. But with some types of food and drug allergies, severe intoxication with high fever can occur.

Localization of rashes

Skin allergies in a child can be localized in different places. In what areas does rash, redness, peeling, and swelling of the skin most often occur?

Allergy on the face. The skin on the face is the most problematic and sensitive to external irritants, often chapped and dried out in the sun. Most often, when consuming highly allergenic foods, allergies occur on the cheeks. The cause may also be a contact allergen: water when washing, treating the skin with hygiene products, climatic conditions. Read more about cold allergies in children in our other article. As a rule, allergies begin on the face and then spread to other areas of the body.
Allergy on the neck. May be associated with local exposure to an allergen, for example: woolen, synthetic clothing, dyes, jewelry made from metal and other materials. But also an allergy on the neck is a sign of a systemic manifestation of food, drug, respiratory, and sun allergies. In infants, rashes on the neck are often associated with overheating and are called prickly heat.
Allergies on legs and arms. Most often, rashes occur on the folds - in the elbow and knee joints, on the elbows and knees, on the inside of the thighs, forearms. Rashes appear where the skin sweats or gets dry the most. A rash on the arms and legs can be a reaction to an external irritant: synthetics, wool, dyes, cosmetics. Also often the cause is food or drug allergies.
Allergy to the butt. Rashes on the buttocks do not always indicate an allergic nature. In infants, changes in the skin may be associated with violation of the rules of hygienic care, overheating, and diaper dermatitis. If the rash appears simultaneously on the face (another part of the body) and buttocks, this may be an allergic reaction to some product or household allergen.

Also, rashes can spread throughout the body, appearing on the stomach and back. If a rash appears, you should definitely consult a doctor. After all, often a profuse rash all over the body can be a sign of viral and bacterial infections - measles, rubella, scarlet fever, chickenpox, sudden exanthema. Only a doctor can differentiate the rashes.

Provoking factors

What can a child be allergic to? This is the main question that doctors and parents ask. What categories can allergens be divided into and where to look for them?

Treatment methods

Treatment of allergies in children is carried out comprehensively. The speed of recovery depends on eliminating the cause of allergies in children. To do this, you need to carefully examine the child’s living conditions: food, hygiene, air, water, animals, climate.

Medication methods

Antihistamines. Prescribed as symptomatic treatment for acute allergic reactions in children, as well as for preventive purposes. Children are allowed antihistamines that do not give a sedative effect - they do not cause lethargy, lethargy and drowsiness. These drugs include second and third generation antihistamines. Antihistamine drops and syrups are recommended for children under 3 years of age; older children can be given tablets.
Means for normalizing digestion. Often, against the background of allergies, a child experiences disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract: constipation, increased flatulence, belching, nausea, dysbacteriosis. In this case, the doctor prescribes sorbents, enzymes, choleretic drugs, drugs with lactulose for chronic constipation, and probiotics.
Hormonal local drugs. This is the most effective remedy for severe, chronic skin lesions. Hormones quickly eliminate the rash and itching; improvement may occur after two or three applications. But it is important to know that these medications can have dangerous side effects, they can be addictive, and you can be allergic to them. Use strictly as prescribed by a doctor. The most famous hormonal ointments used in pediatrics: Advantan, Avecort, Gistan N, Elokom, Skin-Cap, Skinlight, Silcaren, Uniderm.
Non-hormonal drugs. These are safe antiseptic, moisturizing, regenerating ointments and creams. The most commonly prescribed are: “Desitin”, “Gistan”, “Bepanten”, “Losterin”, “Pantoderm”, “Protopic”, “Solcoseryl” and others.
Local antifungal and antibacterial agents. They are prescribed only for secondary infections that develop against the background of a chronic inflammatory process on the skin. They must be used strictly according to the indications and prescription of the doctor.

Read about antiallergic drugs for children in our other article.

Climatotherapy and other additional methods

Allergic diseases in children are well treated with sea water and mountain air. If a child is not allergic to seasonal flowering plants, he can safely be sent to the village, away from house dust and urban living conditions. Children with allergies often experience improvements; their skin becomes much clearer in the summer when they are in the fresh air and sun. Additional methods of therapy include: physiotherapy, mud therapy, carbon and mineral baths, ultraviolet radiation, herbal medicine. It is also known that childhood allergies can be successfully treated with homeopathy.

Diet therapy

Dietary nutrition is the only effective method of treating food allergies. Hypoallergenic nutrition is also prescribed for diagnosing the disease. A course of dietary nutrition should be prescribed by an allergist. Age-specific energy needs must be taken into account. A menu is also thought out so that the child receives the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, microelements, and vitamins. Read more about food allergies in children, its diagnosis, prevention and treatment in our other article.

Traditional methods

To treat skin with allergic dermatitis, decoctions of string, sage, celandine, yarrow, chamomile, calendula, and nettle are often used. Therapeutic baths with sea salt will be safe and beneficial. For inflammation of the skin, you can make antiseptic lotions from tea tree oil. Itching and swelling are well relieved by potato juice. Before using any folk remedies, you need to make sure that the treatment will not cause a new allergic reaction.

It is also important to pay attention to the psychological state of the child. After all, allergies are classified as psychosomatic diseases and more often occur in vulnerable, impressionable, withdrawn children.

What to do if your child has allergies? You can't start a disease. If you have frequent skin rashes, your child complains of itching, prolonged rhinitis, or a cough not associated with ARVI, you should consult an allergist. Allergy treatment begins with eliminating the triggering factor. Medicines are used as adjuvant therapy.

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How to treat allergies in a 4 year old child?

Hello! A 4-year-old child, small rashes appeared on the arm, first in the form of a circle, but now they are scattered all over the arm and on the legs. We have been receiving treatment from a local dermatologist for 3 weeks now. First hyoxysone, then comfoderm, zodak and enterosgel, and now instead of cream, cindol with diphenhydramine. I also bathe the child in a line. Does not help! We follow a diet (we don’t eat sweets, bread, milk, everything red is excluded). An appointment with an allergist in the city is only for September... I've never had an allergy before... What should we do before September?(((

Answered by Tokareva Larisa pediatrician

Katerina, hello. What diagnosis did the doctor make? If you suspect an allergy, you shouldn't wait until September - you need to go to a private doctor.

Food allergies in a child

Severe itchy rashes occur when various allergenic foods enter the body. This condition is very dangerous due to the development of adverse consequences that can greatly worsen the child’s well-being. Food allergies in a child are something that parents should pay close attention to.

What it is?

The development of allergic rashes that appear on the skin after eating certain foods is called a food allergy. This condition is equally common in both boys and girls.

One in three children with allergies has a food allergy. Adverse symptoms can appear at any age. Even within 1 year after birth, infants may experience allergic manifestations.

How does it arise?

The provoking factors for this form of allergy are various products that have a strong allergenic effect. Allergens entering the body pass through the gastrointestinal tract and are easily absorbed. Once in the bloodstream, foreign components are recognized by cells of the immune system.

Contact with an allergen triggers the onset of a cascade of inflammatory reactions. During their development, a huge amount of biologically active substances is released. A specific sign of allergy is an increase in the level of immunoglobulin E. Normally, the amount of this substance is always the same. An increase in the level of immunoglobulin E may indicate the development of an allergic reaction.

Other substances that also promote inflammation are bradykinin and histamine. They affect the tone and diameter of blood vessels. An increased concentration of such substances leads to severe spasm of the peripheral arteries, which contributes to a sharp decrease in blood pressure and disruption of the contractile function of the heart.

Biologically active substances formed during an allergic reaction have an adverse effect on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. This leads to digestive disorders, as well as a decrease in intestinal motor function. If allergens are not removed from the body in a timely manner, adverse symptoms may persist for a long time.

Causes

There are a lot of foods that cause food allergies. Often the provoking factor that triggers the allergic process is some substance included in the product with pronounced antigenic properties.

The most common causes of food allergies include:

Citrus and other tropical fruits. Extractive substances and fruit acids have pronounced allergenic properties. Even a small amount of such exotic fruits contributes to the appearance of adverse manifestations of allergies.
Seafood. Many mothers add them to their children’s diet for the first time at 3-4 years old. It is at this time that the first signs of allergies are most often recorded. Very often, seafood causes Quincke's edema. There have even been cases of anaphylactic shock.
Chocolate and all sweets containing cocoa beans.
Cow's milk protein. 50% of American children have increased sensitivity and intolerance to this product. Typically, the first signs of the disease develop in the first year of a child’s life. At this time, many mothers dilute adapted mixtures with cow's milk or cook milk porridges with it.

Products containing gluten. This vegetable protein is found in wheat flour, as well as in many cereals. The entry of gluten into the intestines leads not only to the development of symptoms of celiac disease, but also to the appearance of an allergic reaction.
Berries and fruits of red and yellow colors. They contain many plant coloring pigments that contribute to the development of allergies. These components have a high allergenic effect. Even yellow and red vegetables should be introduced into the diet of a child with a predisposition to allergies very carefully and gradually.
Industrially prepared food. Typically, these prepared foods contain too many additional flavorings and spices. These components have a pronounced sensitizing effect on the immune system, provoking the development of food allergies.
Sweet carbonated drinks. To give a beautiful color, unscrupulous manufacturers often add low-quality dyes. Such components not only contribute to the occurrence of allergic reactions in babies. When taken for a long time, they can have a toxic effect on the liver and pancreas.

Improper nutrition of the mother during lactation. Infants can develop food allergies as a result of allergens entering the body through breast milk. If a nursing mother eats foods with a high allergenic effect, then the risk of developing diathesis or the appearance of adverse symptoms of atopic dermatitis in the child increases several times.
Using incorrectly selected mixtures. Some adapted mixtures can cause allergies in the baby. The more ingredients that are included in these products, the harder it is to understand which of them caused the allergy. The most common adverse allergy symptoms are caused by formulas containing cow's milk powder or gluten.
Chicken and quail eggs. If a baby has an intolerance to chicken, then in 80% of cases he will also have an increased risk of developing allergic reactions when eating eggs.
Nuts. Any type can cause allergies. Even small amounts of chopped nuts found in various breakfast cereals or nutritional candy bars contribute to the development of food allergy symptoms. In America, even the presence of traces of nuts is required to be labeled in all products that can be purchased in the supermarket.

Symptoms

Food allergies manifest themselves in different ways. The severity of symptoms depends on the age of the child, the initial state of immunity, as well as the presence of concomitant chronic diseases.

The most characteristic signs of food allergies:

Red itchy spots or blisters all over the body. In young children, this symptom manifests itself quite clearly. The skin looks inflamed and has multiple scratch marks.
Unbearable itching. It occurs both during the day and at night. May worsen after bathing or when water comes in contact with the skin. At night, the itching decreases slightly.
Marked weakness. Constant itching is very exhausting for the baby. He becomes more lethargic and refuses to eat. The child's appetite worsens. With long-term food allergies, children begin to lose weight.
Stomach ache. Not always found. Pain syndrome occurs in the presence of concomitant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Intestinal dysfunction. Often manifested by the appearance of loose stools. Some babies experience alternating periods of diarrhea and constipation.
Fast fatiguability. The child plays less active games and rests more often. Due to severe itching and disturbed sleep, decreased activity during the day may occur.
Edema. Often occur on the face and neck. Most characteristic of Quincke's edema. This symptom is very unfavorable. If swelling appears on the face and swelling of the eyes, you should immediately show your baby to a doctor. Treatment at home in this case can be dangerous.

Diagnostics

To accurately identify which product is an allergen for the baby, additional examinations are required. To prescribe such tests, parents should show their baby to an allergist. The doctor will examine the child and also perform diagnostic tests that will help determine all the causes of the allergy.

Currently, the following methods are used to diagnose food allergies:

General blood analysis. With allergies, the number of leukocytes increases and the ESR increases. The number of lymphocytes and eosinophils in the leukocyte formula increases. These cells are responsible for the development of allergic reactions in the body.
Biochemistry of blood. Allows you to identify concomitant pathologies that occur with similar symptoms. To carry out differential diagnosis, the level of bilirubin, liver transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and amylase is determined. These indicators characterize the functioning of the liver, gall bladder and pancreas.
Determination of the level of immunoglobulin E. At each age, there are certain standards for this substance. All laboratories also offer their own normal indicator values (based on the reagents used to perform the analyses). During allergic reactions, the level of immunoglobulin E increases several times.

Determination of allergen panels. These types of studies help to identify all possible allergenic substances that can cause allergic reactions. The material for the study is venous blood. The turnaround time for analysis is from three days to a week. This laboratory test is very informative and reliable.
Scarification tests. Conducted for school-aged children. In early childhood, performing this test is difficult and does not have a high reliability of the result. Using a special instrument, the doctor makes incisions on the child’s skin, introducing diagnostic allergens that correspond to specific products. When a bright red spot appears in the area of certain notches, we can talk about the presence of high sensitivity to this allergenic substance.
Stool culture. Prescribed in case of persistent stool disorders. The analysis is completed within 7-14 days. Using this test, you can determine the presence of dysbiosis in the intestines, which often develops with long-term food allergies.

Treatment

Several methods are used to treat food allergies. It is impossible to completely get rid of such a disease. The child will have food allergies for the rest of his life. Monitoring the development of new exacerbations of the disease must be constant.

When identifying a food allergy in a baby, doctors recommend:

Follow a hypoallergenic diet. All products that have strong allergenic properties are completely excluded from the children's diet. You should follow nutritional recommendations throughout your life.
Prescription of gastrointestinal drugs. Such medications help eliminate the adverse symptoms that occur in the stomach or intestines after eating allergenic foods. The drugs can be prescribed either as a course of treatment (to relieve the unfavorable symptoms of an exacerbation) or as a permanent one. Such medications help normalize intestinal motor function and improve digestion.
Normalization of the daily routine. Full and high-quality sleep is very important for the rapid recovery of a child’s body. Children must rest during the day for at least 2-3 hours. At night, the child should sleep about 9 hours.

Prescription of antihistamines. Helps eliminate the unfavorable symptoms of itching of the skin and improve the baby’s well-being. Use only during acute periods of allergies.
General strengthening therapy. Taking multivitamin complexes, active walks in the fresh air, and limiting outdoor games during the acute period of illness contribute to a faster recovery of the body.
Refusal of artificial feeding and transition to other adapted mixtures. These products usually contain a lot of different components. If a food allergy develops, you should find out which component of the mixture your baby is allergic to. In the future, this will help you choose a product that is more suitable in composition.

Drug therapy

To eliminate unfavorable symptoms that bring severe discomfort to the child during the acute period of the disease, doctors recommend the following groups of medications:

Antihistamines. They can be used in the form of tablets, ointments, creams, and also through injections. They are usually prescribed for 5-7 days to relieve uncomfortable symptoms. Help eliminate severe itching and normalize sleep. Usually used 1-2 times a day. The following drugs can be used to treat food allergies: Claritin, Suprastin, Loratadine, Zyrtec, Erius and many others.
Hormonal. Often used for severe illness and to eliminate itchy skin rashes. Unfavorable manifestations of allergies can be treated with hormones at any age. The effect of such remedies usually lasts a long time. With long-term use, systemic side effects may occur. When they appear, hormonal drugs are canceled.
Calming. They help normalize sleep and also help reduce increased anxiety resulting from prolonged and painful itching. For children, decoctions and infusions prepared from medicinal plants at home are preferable. At an older age, you can use drops containing plant extracts. Melissa, mint, and oregano have a sedative effect.
Healing creams and ointments. They contain active components that have antihistamine and anti-inflammatory effects. Apply topically to the area of inflamed skin. Can be used for a long time. Help eliminate itchy skin elements, and also help soften and moisturize the skin.
Multivitamin complexes. They help restore the functioning of the immune system, and also strengthen the child’s body, which is weakened during an exacerbation of allergies. Appointed for 1-2 months. It is allowed to take a course of multivitamins twice a year to strengthen the immune system.
Drugs that affect intestinal motility. In case of pronounced loose stools, sorbents are prescribed. Usually, 2-3 days of use are enough to achieve results. While using sorbents, you should drink plenty of fluids. This helps the drugs work better and achieve results faster.

Diet

The diet of a child with food allergies must be carefully planned. Even a small amount of allergenic foods should not be allowed to get into the children's plate. Any violation of the diet contributes to the development of new adverse allergy symptoms.

Therapeutic nutrition for a child with food allergies involves a completely varied and tasty menu. Moms should remember that all products that can be used can be prepared in a variety of ways. Many vegetables complement each other perfectly; you can create very tasty and varied combinations.

For children with food allergies, highly allergenic foods should be completely excluded. These include red meat and poultry, brightly colored berries and fruits, seafood and fish, citrus fruits, nuts, chocolate, and tropical fruits. Orange vegetables can also cause adverse symptoms in a child.

The safest are zucchini, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, white fish, chicken breast, green apples and pears. These products contain virtually no allergens. They can be safely added to children’s diets without fear that an allergy may develop. Allergic reactions to these products are very rare.

You can use goat's milk to make porridge. This solution will be an excellent option if the usual options are not possible. Most kids like porridges and sour milk made with goat milk. Such products will be an excellent addition to the menu of a child aged 1-2 years.

If your baby has gluten intolerance, then you should completely exclude from the menu all products that may contain it. Regular wheat baked goods can cause severe allergies in a child. It is better to give preference to alternative grains and cereals that do not contain gluten. Such children should not eat oatmeal porridge, as this can lead to allergic rashes.

How to keep a food diary?

To identify all possible allergens that can cause food allergies, you should carefully monitor everything that ends up on your baby's plate. A food diary can simplify such control. It should record all the products that are part of the prepared daily meals.

Such records will help identify all the products that cause allergy symptoms in the child. If they occur, make notes in your food diary, indicating exactly what symptoms appeared. These records will also help your allergist make detailed dietary recommendations.

You should keep a diary constantly. Keeping such records is especially important in the first three years of a child’s life. At this time, the final formation of eating behavior occurs, and almost all basic products are introduced into the baby’s diet. Keeping a diary at an older age will help identify other allergens that may cause the child to develop adverse symptoms.

Urgent Care

When the first symptoms of an allergy appear, the child should be shown to the pediatrician. Often, allergic manifestations are similar to similar symptoms that occur in various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The doctor will conduct an examination and prescribe tests that will help to accurately determine the cause of the disorder.

To eliminate the allergen from the body, rinse the mouth with ordinary boiled water. In a hospital setting, they resort to gastric lavage. Typically, this procedure is performed only when the symptoms of the disease are severe. If the baby has abdominal pain and severe stool upset, then sorbents can be used. They are quite effective in helping to cure everything.

To eliminate itching, you should give your child an antihistamine. Usually, before being examined by a doctor, you should not give more than one tablet. This dosage is quite sufficient to reduce adverse symptoms. In some cases, doctors recommend giving the child an enema. This also helps remove allergens from the body.

To improve your health, you should give your baby as much fluid as possible.

If you have a food allergy, it is better to give your child regular boiled water, cooled to room temperature. If allergy symptoms increase, you should definitely call a doctor or ambulance. If angioedema or anaphylactic shock develops, the baby may need emergency hospitalization in a hospital, where specialists will help him.

Prevention

To avoid adverse symptoms of food allergies, preventive measures should be followed. All rules must be strictly followed, without any exceptions. Any entry of even the smallest amount of allergen into the body can contribute to a deterioration in health.

To avoid food allergies, you should:

Control your diet. Following a hypoallergenic diet promotes good functioning of the immune system and excellent digestion. Eliminating allergenic foods helps you maintain your normal lifestyle and avoid the onset of adverse symptoms.
Strengthen immunity. Good nutrition, 9 hours of sleep, outdoor games and hardening help normalize the functioning of the immune system.
Exclude highly allergenic foods from the diet during pregnancy and lactation. Even small indulgences can lead to the development of severe atopic dermatitis or diathesis in a child. Expectant mothers (as well as women breastfeeding) should definitely keep a food diary. It will list all the foods consumed during the day. Such records will help mothers more easily determine what contributes to the development of food allergies in babies.

See an allergist regularly. All children with food allergies should undergo testing to identify a panel of allergens. Such a test will identify all possible and even hidden allergenic foods that can lead to the development of food allergies.

Keep your skin hydrated. During periods of exacerbation of food allergies, the skin becomes very dry. After baths or showers, dryness may become noticeably worse. To moisturize the skin, you can use special moisturizers - emollients. They should be used 2-3 times a day. These products can be used for a long time.
Limitation of hygiene procedures. During an exacerbation of allergies, the baby should not stay in the water for a long time. Minutes are usually enough. Longer hygiene procedures can lead to increased itching and the appearance of new rashes on the skin. After a bath or shower, apply medicinal products or ointments to the inflamed areas and leave them until completely absorbed.

Regular monitoring of the course of food allergies can prevent the development of the disease. Following a diet and strengthening the immune system will significantly reduce the risk of exacerbations in the future.

For information about why food allergies occur, see the explanation from Dr. Komarovsky in the following video.

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This is due, first of all, to heredity, technogenic influence of the environment and the transition to synthetic food products in the last couple of decades. It is important not how you fight the symptoms of the disease, but how well you have identified the causes of its development. We will look point by point at what to do if a child has already shown the first symptoms of an allergy.

Symptoms

An allergy is a powerful reaction of the immune system to an irritant. It can be both internal and external. The body perceives the irritant as potentially dangerous to its functioning, even when real harm has not yet been done.

So, there are two types of allergies:

hereditary; acquired.

If nothing can be done about the first type, then the second can be prevented. When a child develops a tendency to allergic reactions to a number of foods (usually this occurs in the first or second year of life with the transfer to adult food), it is necessary to take precautions and protect the child as much as possible from possible irritants.

How to understand that a child has an allergy? Please pay attention to the following number of factors:

visible redness and rash on the skin; permanent runny nose, coughing and sneezing; inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes, redness of the whites and tears when the child does not cry.

Most often, the symptoms are skin irritation, which has several stages.

Diathesis: rash and redness (primarily manifests itself on the cheeks and buttocks); Eczema: the appearance of swelling of the skin with fluid; Atopic dermatitis: joints, face and neck. It persists until puberty and may remain until the end of life.

Causes

An exact diagnosis of the mechanism of the allergic reaction has not yet been established. In addition to genetic inheritance, there are a number of already established patterns:

Poor nutrition during pregnancy. There is a likely risk of allergies in babies whose mothers ate strawberries, citrus fruits and seafood in abundance. This rule also applies to mothers who are still breastfeeding. Improper breastfeeding, sudden transition to artificial nutrition. Cow's milk protein is a powerful irritant, and all infant formulas are based on it. Introducing complementary foods too aggressively, early or in excessive quantities. The choice of the first product administered is very important and is best determined together with your doctor. External irritants, which include both plants, namely flower pollen (the most famous is ragweed), and chemical products. Animals and insects, namely their fur and poison, can be no less irritating.

Important: possible allergic reactions should be identified in the first year of a child’s life, focusing primarily on his immediate relatives, mother, father, brothers and sisters, as well as grandparents.

Prevention

The first stage, intrauterine, when a pregnant woman eats a special diet if one of the parents or close relatives of the baby has a severe allergy. The second step is proper feeding and feeding the baby with non-allergenic foods. with a gradual transition to normal nutrition by 2 years.

Irritation occurs after ingested foods pass through the digestive system, which is designed for a certain amount of food and the substances from which it consists. Most often, allergies occur after overeating a specific product.

This is where the main rule of prevention arises - the taboo of overeating. Especially during the second year of life, you should pay attention to the amount of food the baby eats daily, as well as the quality of the diet. Grandmothers say “You can eat everything,” and modern doctors add: “But in limited quantities!”

Aggressive foods can only be introduced at 10-12 months of the baby's life, such as red fish and citrus fruits, eggs and cow's milk. It is worth protecting your child as much as possible from food dyes and chemicals.

Food taboos

There is a general list of foods that are recognized as strong allergens.

Cow's milk: the main allergen for children of the first and second year of life. The reason is protein, supersaturated with casein, lactoglobulin, albumin and lactoalbumin. Priority is given to fermented milk products, which contain these components to a much lesser extent and are non-allergenic. Egg white: all types of birds, not just chicken. Yolk is less dangerous in this regard. Protein rejection is accompanied by a rejection of poultry meat. Cereals and legumes: rye and wheat are considered the most aggressive products, followed by rice, buckwheat and oats, which do not contain gluten. Soy allergies are common today, mainly due to its overabundance in baby foods. Seafood: Allergens contained in fish are not eliminated by heat treatment. Food additives: flavors, dyes, emulsifiers, flavorings and preservatives. Yoghurts, juices, soups and canned food for adults are prohibited. Taboos on chewing gum, soda and sauces.

It is possible to determine the exact taboo when a child’s allergy occurred only under the supervision of a pediatrician.

What can you eat?

You can find out which specific product your baby is allergic to only by eliminating foods one by one from the diet (you should wait 3 to 7 days for a reaction). An alternative is to carry out special tests in a clinic.

It is important not only what the child eats, but also how much and how this food is prepared. It is enough to adhere to the following cooking rules:

Grate the potatoes and soak them in water the day before, changing the water every 3 hours, then excess starch and nitrates are removed. To remove the chemicals that the plant was treated with from cereals and legumes, it is enough to place them in water for 60-120 minutes. The meat must be boiled in clean water, pouring out the resulting broth twice until it boils, until all the “foam” is removed.

Cooking priority: steam, oven, boil.

Fruits baked or boiled for at least 10 minutes become less allergenic.

Diet is also important. After introducing a new product, you need to wait 3-5 days to observe the body's reaction. You can continue feeding only if the result is positive (no signs of irritation).

Diet therapy

During the period from 1 to 2 years of life, it is very important to adhere to a diet, especially if the child has already developed allergies. These are the basic principles:

If breastfeeding and intolerance to cow's milk, it is necessary to adjust the mother's diet. A low-allergen diet is prescribed by your primary care physician and cannot be determined on your own. When the baby is on artificial nutrition, the nutritionist makes adjustments to the main formula; it is possible to switch to fermented milk products or formulas based on goat’s milk.

Babies with food allergies are prescribed complementary foods a month later. New foods can only be introduced with the recommendation of a nutritionist. Important: meat can be introduced no earlier than 9 months, ideally only after a year.

Fruits are introduced into the diet last, the minimum age is 10 months.

After 1 year, with a strong allergic reaction to cow's milk, protein fasting is often practiced, which can be carried out for no more than 4-12 months, depending on the recommendation of the attending nutritionist.

The main rule: consult a nutritionist in time, who, after processing the data from tests for allergic reactions, will be able to design an optimal diet for the baby and mother, if she is still breastfeeding.

We arrange the house correctly

The basis of life in a house with an allergy sufferer is following certain rules of order and cleaning all year round.

No flower plants in the house. Even in that case. when the baby has negative reactions only to food. Often, an allergic reaction can also develop to pollen from flowers and plants.

No pets with fur or insects. Protect your baby's crib and bedroom as much as possible from the penetration of flies, mosquitoes and weavers from the street. Cats and dogs cannot live in the same space as an allergic person, because... their protein gets into the baby's room through the wool and can irritate his body.

Ban on aggressive household chemicals. The list also includes washing powders and, above all, bleach. Air fresheners, window cleaners, all of this can cause irreparable harm.

Elimination of “dust collectors”: soft toys, chairs, etc., literally all places where dust usually accumulates.

Important: a sterile space will also harm the baby, who has barely reached one year. It is necessary to do regular wet cleaning without household chemicals, and ventilate the room once a day. except during the flowering period of wildflowers. when it is necessary to do the opposite.

Treatment

Treatment of children over one year of age. but under three “this is primarily prevention. It is important to monitor the cleanliness of clothes, select only soft cotton and lint-free clothes, which will not cause inconvenience and contribute to the development of diathesis into dermatitis.

Important: There are no optimal medications to eliminate allergies. They produce only medicines that eliminate the symptoms and consequences of the disease, but constant prevention is what fights the causes. described above.

Only a doctor selects medications for treatment. sometimes this can take many months, since it is not always possible to identify the exact allergen. Therefore, during the period of exacerbation, follow the prevention tips outlined.

The basis for prescribing a drug is the information received about the family and immunological blood tests. If the disease has started and has developed from a simple diathesis into eczema or atopic dermatitis, skin samples are also taken for analysis.

Dermatitis and its elimination

Atopic dermatitis is a pathological permanent disease due to an allergic reaction of the body to an irritant. As usual, it has a constant character until puberty, or accompanies a person for more than one year of life until death. Allergies apply to most foods, substances and elements.

The main thing with dermatitis is to properly treat the wounds that form on the bends of the arms and legs, and in advanced form also appear on the cheeks.

Open wounds and blisters (eczema) must be treated with any non-aggressive drug that kills germs and bacteria (the exact recommendation should be obtained from your doctor!), and then wrapped with a sterile bandage in one layer. The purpose of this action is that the baby should not scratch, tear or touch the wounds. introducing an infection into the body.

In case of outbreaks of irritation (the child tries to comb the wounds), it is necessary to apply special soothing agents, creams and gels. which must also be prescribed by a doctor.

Allergies in children occur at any age, and at each stage of growing up, their symptoms change. Thus, allergies in an infant are more often manifested by skin reactions; in children after 3 years of age, respiratory symptoms predominate.

What is childhood allergy

Allergy is the hypersensitivity of the immune system to repeated exposure to an allergen on an organism previously sensitized by it.

Causes of allergies in children

The same factors can have different effects on children. Some babies respond to potential allergens with an immune response, others do not. Children are most prone to allergic reactions with:

Any product, medication or household chemical can trigger an immune response. The following allergens are considered the most dangerous in terms of reaction development:

dust and dust mites; vaccines; mold fungi; pollen; medicines: sulfonamides, antibiotics, local anesthetics; food: red vegetables and fruits, nuts, seafood, milk, eggs, legumes, citrus fruits, cereals, honey; wasp and bee stings; dust mites, cockroaches, animal hair; chemicals: washing powders, conditioners, soaps, shower gels, scented shampoos.

Allergies in newborns in most cases are the result of bad habits or the mother’s failure to comply with a low-allergen diet during pregnancy.

Types of allergies in children

The most common types of allergies in childhood are:

Food allergy – occurs as a result of consuming allergenic foods. Drug allergy – reaction of the immune system to taking various medications. Often combined with a food reaction. Respiratory - develops when an allergen is inhaled. Hay fever, autumn allergies or hay fever - appears annually when certain plants bloom. Quincke's edema - can occur in response to a strong food, drug irritant or insect bite. Urticaria - an allergic reaction to any irritant from the skin. Cold allergy - a reaction to cold, manifested by difficulty breathing, itching and hyperemia of the skin. Sun allergy - develops with prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays on unprotected children's skin. Atopic dermatitis - manifestations of an immune response on the skin. Diathesis - most typical for newborns, appears in the form of diaper rash, scabs on the cheeks, and seborrhea.

Symptoms and signs of allergies in children

Manifestations from the respiratory system

Most often, catarrhal phenomena occur when an allergen enters the respiratory tract. The most common triggers for respiratory allergies are gases, pollen, fine dust and pet dander. Symptoms:

sneezing; rhinitis; allergic swelling of the nose; itching or burning in the nose; suffocation, shortness of breath, obsessive cough; wheezing in the lungs; bronchial asthma.

How does the reaction manifest on the skin?

hyperemia of the skin; itching; peeling; dryness; severe swelling; blisters.

What does allergic conjunctivitis look like?

Signs of damage to the mucous membrane of the eyes:

photosensitivity; lacrimation; swelling of the eyelids; burning in the eyes.

Manifestations from the gastrointestinal tract

Most often they appear with drug and food allergies:

diarrhea or constipation; nausea, vomiting; colic; swelling of the lips, tongue.

Anaphylactic shock

sudden shortness of breath; loss of consciousness; convulsions; rash on the body; involuntary defecation, vomiting, urination.

What are the dangers of allergies in children?

If left untreated, severe allergies can be fatal.

Diagnostics: how to find out what your child is allergic to

Skin tests - make it possible to determine the type of allergen in a few minutes. Blood test (IgE level) - is carried out if there are contraindications to skin allergy tests. Application or skin tests - allow you to determine the causes of eczema and contact dermatitis. Provocative tests - the most effective and reliable research method .

How to cure allergies

How to cure allergies: medications

Drug treatment is aimed at eliminating the allergic reaction and reducing its symptoms. The following groups of allergy medications may be used:

Antihistamines – block or reduce the production of histamine. Available in various dosage forms. Tablets for systemic use, ointments for relieving skin itching and inflammation, drops for the treatment of conjunctivitis or rhinitis of allergic etiology. Names of drugs: Loratadine; Fenistil; Zyrtec; Suprastin; Edem; Tavegil. Decongestants - used primarily to combat allergic rhinitis and hay fever. Names: Xylometazoline; Oxymetazoline. Hormonal drugs - used for severe forms of allergies: Dexamethasone; Prednisolone. Homeopathy - drugs are selected exclusively by a homeopathic doctor depending on the type of allergic reaction, the prevailing symptoms, the age of the child and his physiological characteristics. Preparations: Sulfur 6; Rus 3; Belladonna 3, 6; Antimonium Crudum 3, 6.

Prevention of allergic reactions

If your baby is predisposed to allergic diseases, the following preventive measures must be observed:

prolong breastfeeding as much as possible; exclude food allergens; introduce complementary foods carefully, according to the pediatrician’s recommendations; frequently carry out wet cleaning; exclude smoking indoors; limit the child’s contact with animals; use hypoallergenic household chemicals and cosmetics for baby care. The natural hypoallergenic laundry detergent Soap Nuts has proven itself; select underwear and clothes for the baby from natural materials; regularly carry out antifungal treatment in the premises.

Doctor pays attention

At an early age, the results of allergy tests may be false negative, which is due to the property of allergic reactions to occur after prolonged (sometimes many years) contact with an irritant. Temperature with allergies is an uncharacteristic phenomenon. Fever against the background of an established diagnosis may indicate concomitant inflammation. Temperature may also indicate a viral allergy, when the body reacts to infection with a virus not only with an immune response, but also with an allergic reaction. If the diagnosis of an allergy in a child is in question, then rashes, dyspeptic symptoms and fever may indicate an infectious disease in the baby. You can relieve itching in case of allergies in a small child using a series of safe anti-inflammatory and sedatives. The series can be taken orally, bathe the child in a bath with a decoction of herbs, or lubricate the affected areas of the skin with it.

Allergic reactions in infants are quite common these days. According to some reports, four out of ten children in the first year of life suffer from them. Often mothers who breastfeed their baby mistakenly believe that in this case the child is insured against allergies. This is not true, because allergens can also be contained in breast milk.

Food allergy is a reaction of the immune system to any food product that acts as an allergen. What is the mechanism of the allergic reaction? In response to an allergen, the body synthesizes immunoglobulins E (IgE), which activate a cascade of reactions leading to the development of allergic symptoms. Typically, allergic reactions occur soon after eating a product to which there is hypersensitivity, but sometimes allergies can be delayed (slow), appearing only a few hours after eating.

Food allergens can change their properties during cooking, with some losing their allergenicity, while others, on the contrary, becoming more allergenic.

What is the likelihood of a child developing a food allergy? Heredity primarily predisposes people to the development of allergic reactions. An increased risk of food allergies exists in children whose families have a history of allergies.

Also, allergic reactions in a newborn can be caused by fetal hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) during pregnancy and childbirth, acute respiratory viral and intestinal infections suffered by the baby, with subsequent disruption of the composition of the intestinal microflora.

A negative role is played by maternal smoking during pregnancy, the presence of chronic cardiovascular and bronchopulmonary diseases, as well as infectious diseases suffered by the mother during pregnancy and antibiotic therapy carried out in connection with this. It is believed that children whose mothers abused highly allergenic foods during pregnancy are at risk of becoming allergic.

The occurrence of food allergies in infants is associated with the functional characteristics of their digestive tract: still low enzyme activity, low level of production of IgA (immunoglobulin A) - protective antibodies located on the surface of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. They provide local protection of the intestinal mucosa from foreign agents. And since a newborn is characterized by increased permeability of mucous membranes, allergens easily penetrate into the blood. And of course, allergic reactions are associated with disturbances in the nutrition of a nursing mother, with her excessive consumption of highly allergenic foods.

Most common cause of food allergy– usual overfeeding of a child. With regular overeating, allergic reactions can occur even to those types of food (including breast milk), which until recently were perfectly tolerated by the baby.

Any food product can cause the development of food allergies in infants(it is not uncommon for green apples or rice flour, considered hypoallergenic products, to lead to the development of severe allergic reactions in children in the first years of life). There are even known allergies to breast milk. And to its substitutes. These formulas are usually prepared on the basis of cow's milk (with the exception of specialized formulas), therefore, when a child is early transferred to artificial feeding, milk protein intolerance often occurs.

There are a number of food products that doctors classify as allergens:

Animal milk- the most common cause of food allergies in the first year of life; Chocolate, coffee, cocoa- may be present as flavoring additives to some food products; Chicken eggs- sometimes included in grain products such as cookies or pasta; Fish, fish roe, seafood(shrimp, squid, lobsters and other marine life); Mushrooms- UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN IN ANY FORM, INCLUDING SAUCES, SOUPS, ETC.; Nuts- avoid all varieties in any form; Honey- may be part of some baby food products and cause severe forms of allergies; Fruits, berries and vegetables of bright red and orange colors, as well as juices from them(citrus fruits, beets, strawberries, raspberries, etc.); Soybeans- is included in seasonings, sauces, certain types of vegetable purees and breast milk substitutes.

That's why A child of the first or second years of life should never be given caviar, chocolate, mushrooms and nuts..

Signs of food allergies

The main signs of a food allergy are skin lesions. This food allergy is commonly called “diathesis” (the most common type of atopic dermatitis). Allergic skin lesions:

various rashes on the body, redness, itching and peeling of the skin of the cheeks, persistent diaper rash, despite careful hygienic measures (eczema), profuse prickly heat due to mild overheating, excessive dry skin (neurodermatitis), gneiss (formation of scales, peeling) on the scalp and eyebrows, urticaria. Other allergic manifestations are disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. As a rule, the patient experiences intestinal dysbiosis. It manifests itself (with swelling of the gastrointestinal mucosa) in the form of: regurgitation, vomiting, frequent and loose stools with foam or an admixture of greens, constipation, intestinal colic, abdominal pain, flatulence. The respiratory system is much less likely to be affected by food allergies. It manifests itself (with swelling of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract) in the form of: allergic congestion of the nasal passages, allergic runny nose, difficulty breathing, bronchospasm (with bronchospasm, air does not enter the respiratory tract or enters with great difficulty - this is the most dangerous outcome of allergic edema). Angioedema (a type of allergic reaction characterized by the sudden appearance of swelling of the skin, subcutaneous tissue and mucous membranes) is especially dangerous for a newborn. With Quincke's edema in the larynx, suffocation occurs, similar to an attack of bronchial asthma. With swelling of the larynx, first there is hoarseness of voice, a barking cough, then shortness of breath with noisy breathing. The complexion acquires a bluish tint, then suddenly turns pale.

There are also combined lesions of the skin and intestines, skin and bronchi. If the skin, digestive system and respiratory organs are simultaneously damaged, the child may require urgent hospitalization.

Food allergies can be a precursor to other allergic diseases: atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma, etc.

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to identify food allergens.

To identify causally significant allergens, the following is used:

“skin testing” method: reference allergens are applied to the surface of the skin, and after a certain time the results are evaluated. Indications for such a diagnostic procedure in children of the first and second years of life are significantly limited and are rarely used in practice. blood test: allergies are indicated by high levels of total immunoglobulin E and an increased number of eosinophils. In children of the first year of life, blood is taken from a vein and the presence of specific immunoglobulins E is determined. Such studies should be carried out before or after the start of antiallergic treatment.

Sometimes the doctor needs enough information from examining the child, interviewing his parents, as well as the results of the analysis food diary. Many pediatric doctors ask mothers whose children suffer from food allergies to keep a so-called “food diary.” It should regularly (for a period of time agreed upon with the pediatrician - usually at least 3-7 days) record all types of food and drink received by the baby during the day, with the obligatory indication of the composition of the dishes, the features of their culinary processing, the amount of food and time feeding, as well as the appearance of undesirable reactions (loose stools, regurgitation, skin rashes, etc.). Keeping a food diary allows you to identify those foods whose consumption is accompanied by allergic manifestations. Remember that short-term recordings (1-2 days) usually do not provide any valuable information.

Treatment tactics in each specific case are determined by a doctor (pediatrician, allergist or nutritionist). Don't self-medicate! Uncontrolled treatment of food allergies is dangerous and can lead to severe exacerbation of the disease.

The first place in the treatment of food allergies is given to diet (diet therapy). In most cases, it is necessary to take “antihistamines” (antiallergic drugs), ointments, as well as symptomatic treatment.

Diet therapy includes strict control of the number of meals with appropriate intervals between them, as well as the exclusion of real and potential allergens from the infant’s diet. An unbalanced, monotonous diet often in itself causes the development of allergies.

The diet must remain complete. To avoid nutrient deficiencies, it is necessary to replace all “allergenic” foods with hypoallergenic ones that have similar nutritional value.

Typically, diet therapy for children suffering from food allergies includes the sequential implementation of three main stages.

Stage one. For 1–2 weeks, it is necessary to follow a “nonspecific” hypoallergenic diet - exclude all potential allergens from the diet. Do not give industrially produced products that contain crystalline sugar, antioxidants, preservatives, fat emulsifiers and artificial colors. Salt, like sugar, is completely excluded. You should refrain from eating foods with strong flavors (strong broth, etc.), since they usually irritate the mucous membranes of the children's gastrointestinal tract. The amount of dairy products is also limited.

Stage two. At this stage, as a rule, the main source of the allergy is already identified. Therefore, the previously carried out hypoallergenic diet is combined with an individually selected diet and should be followed for 1 to 3 months.

Stage three. If the signs of allergy have disappeared or clearly decreased, you can gradually expand the baby’s diet (obvious allergenic foods are still completely excluded).

If your baby has an allergic reaction to breast milk, don’t hesitate to start looking for a suitable formula to replace this valuable product.

Children's diet

Cow's milk, chicken eggs, citrus fruits, wheat products, fish, seafood, and nuts are best introduced into a child's diet after 1-2 years.

Should avoid giving complementary foods before when the child reaches age 6 months; Besides, you should start with those types baby food that is not likely to cause an allergic reaction and consist of one component.

Fruit juices and purees Never introduce food into the diet of children with food allergies before 3 months of age. The fruits used should not be brightly colored (for example, apples should only be light varieties). Chicken eggs It would be better to replace them with quail ones. Vegetable puree(first complementary foods) are given at 6–6.5 months, porridge (second complementary foods) – after 1–2 weeks and are prepared only in water, and what is added to them butter melt! Meat broth replaced with vegetarian soup (vegetable broth). Meat(according to indications) can be given from 7 months of age (and only lean pork or beef, horse meat or rabbit meat). Fish they don’t give it until the end of the first year, but cow's (whole) milk- until the second year of life.

At preparing vegetable purees and cereals Avoid using formula and milk. It is advisable to soak vegetables for mixed puree in cold water for 12 hours (pre-cut into small pieces).

It is important to formulate eating habits in your baby - avoid using sugar, salt and various types of jam.

During periods of exacerbation of food allergies, if possible, you should do without industrially produced baby food products(they are not intended for children with allergies).

Recommended guidelines must be followed feeding volumes and the intervals between them, as well as the drinking regime. Absolutely necessary comply with the timing of administration complementary foods and additional food products are included in the infant's diet.

Intestinal dysbiosis is a symptom that almost always accompanies food allergies, and its treatment is not enough to get rid of the allergic reaction!

Necessary monitor regular bowel movements If a child has constipation, which increases the manifestations of the disease or is its main cause (allergens do not have time to leave the intestines in a timely manner, are absorbed into the blood and cause allergies), solve the problem with the help of a doctor.

It is better not to use pharmacological agents in the form of syrups containing various additives (dyes, flavors) that can cause or worsen allergies.

The water temperature during water procedures should be moderately warm, and the duration of the procedure should not exceed 20 minutes.

It is better to filter bathing water or let it sit for 1-2 hours to dechlorinate it, followed by adding boiling water. You should avoid swimming in pools with chlorinated water or take a moderately warm shower after the session using mild cleansers. It is better to limit the use of synthetic detergents (toilet soaps with additives, bath foams, shower gels, etc.) or they should be marked “hypoallergenic.” Do not rub the child’s skin with washcloths; after bathing, the skin should be carefully blotted with a soft towel and applied moisturizing, skin softening agent. In this case, you can only use specialized children's hypoallergenic cosmetics (pH-neutral).

The child’s clothes should be made from natural materials; in case of severe allergic skin reactions, they can be ironed; pillows and blankets must have synthetic fillers. The baby should be dressed rationally, avoiding overheating, which provokes allergic dermatitis.

The materials from which toys are made must meet all safety requirements.

The air in the home should be clean, cool, moderately humid. It is advisable to take more walks with your child.

Medicinal products.

If Baby located on artificial or mixed feeding, most likely the cause of the food allergy was cow's milk proteins (a special examination will make it possible to establish this for sure) found in the infant formula. If a food allergy in an infant is caused by cow's milk protein intolerance it is necessary to partially or completely replace the milk formula with specialized hypoallergenic formulas (prescribed by a doctor) based on soy protein or special mixtures in which the protein is broken down to the level of individual amino acids (hydrolyzed mixtures). But this diet also has disadvantages: a child may become intolerant to soy protein, and hydrolyzed mixtures have an unpleasant taste and are expensive. There are quite a few such mixtures prepared using soy protein isolate. For example, the American “Enfamil-soy” and “Isomil”, the Swiss “Alsoy”, the German “Humana-SL”, the Dutch “Nutrisoya”, the Finnish “Bona-soy”, etc. Among the most famous protein hydrolysates are the imported products “Nutramigen”, “Pregestimil”, “Alfare” and “Pepti-junior”.

Despite their therapeutic effectiveness, these types of medical nutrition have two disadvantages: high cost and unpleasant taste. But the protein hydrolyzate “Frisopep” partially solves the last problem - pediatricians sometimes call it “the most delicious among tasteless hydrolysates.”

The diet of a nursing mother whose child suffers from or is prone to food allergies.

In breastfed children, food allergies can be caused by foods consumed by the nursing mother. If the baby is breastfed, then first all potential allergens are excluded from the mother’s diet for 1-2 weeks, including industrial products containing crystalline sugar, preservatives, fat emulsifiers and artificial colors (these substances are listed on the label as and are designated - emulsifiers, dyes). The amount of dairy products is also limited. Note that for a child with food allergies it is important to maintain natural feeding.

If your baby has a food allergy, do not eat citrus fruits and juices made from them (directly squeezed and pasteurized). Eliminate melons, watermelons, pineapples and grapes from your diet. The restrictions also apply to many gourmet foods and smoked meats: soft cheeses, noble fish, ham and carbonate, smoked sausages, sausages and small sausages, any nuts, seeds and chips, mushrooms and any seafood except fish.

It goes without saying that a nursing mother should abstain from drinking ANY liquids containing alcohol. Sparkling wines are considered especially harmful and hyperallergenic for children's bodies.

Most mothers know that they should avoid fried foods. It is dangerous if a nursing mother abuses refined foods such as sugar, honey or jam, as well as confectionery, chocolate, cocoa and coffee. It is also necessary to limit the consumption of whole milk (only in porridge), sour cream, baked goods and pasta made from premium flour, and semolina. Carbonated drinks should be completely avoided, as the vast majority of them contain caffeine, which is harmful to children. It is better to refuse even carbonated mineral water.

Excluded:

Highly allergenic foods: fish, seafood, caviar, chicken eggs, mushrooms, nuts, honey, chocolate, coffee, cocoa, bright red and orange fruits and berries, radishes, radishes, kiwi, pineapples, avocados, grapes, strong broths, fried dishes, marinades, sauerkraut, salty and spicy dishes, canned food, spices, onions, garlic. Products containing dyes and preservatives (canned food, semi-finished products): mayonnaise, sauces, adjika, tkemali, ketchup, chips, soft cheeses, smoked meats, ham, sausages, sausages, glazed drinks, kvass, beer. With a reasonable approach, the diet of a nursing mother will not seem too “extreme” to you. Boiled meat and low-fat fish (cod, etc.) must be present in the diet. Boiled sausages (such as “doctoral”) and high-quality milk sausages are also not prohibited.

Many nursing mothers begin to drink cow's milk heavily, believing that this will improve the quality of their own milk and help increase its quantity. It's a delusion. If milk was not part of your diet before pregnancy, there is no reason to consume it in large quantities. It is better and safer to use other dairy and fermented milk products.

If possible, consume plant foods (vegetables, fruits and berries) only fresh. You can regularly prepare salads from them. For seasonings, you should mainly use vegetable oil and low-fat sour cream (in moderation). In winter, frozen fruits and berries (without sugar) are quite suitable.

It is better to limit the amount of sugar or completely replace it with fructose. Instead of jam, pureed fruit (again, without sugar) is good. For confectionery products, choose unleavened cookies, baked goods, and homemade cakes (without custard). Drinks include juices (preferably apple), homemade berry fruit drinks, weak tea, compote of fresh and dried fruits.

Be sure to regularly eat porridge, bread (rye and wheat without additives), vegetable or weak meat soup, pasta and much more.

Allowed:

Fermented milk products: cottage cheese, kefir, biokefir, bifidok, acidophilus, yoghurts without fruit additives, hard cheeses, low-fat sour cream, etc. Cereals: buckwheat, corn, rice, oatmeal, etc. Vegetables and fruits: mostly green and white (apples, pears, bananas, plums, currants (any color), kiwi, cherries, yellow cherries and apricots). Soups: vegetarian and cereal. Meat: lean varieties of beef, pork, turkey fillet, boiled, dried chicken, and also in the form of steamed cutlets. Low-fat fish varieties: cod, hake, pike perch, etc. Vegetable oil. Bakery products: 2nd grade wheat bread, rye bread, unleavened cookies, baked goods without custard. Drinks: tea, compotes, fruit drinks, still mineral water. Further, if the main source of the allergy can be identified, clarifications can be made to the previously implemented hypoallergenic diet - the product that caused the allergic reaction can be excluded. This diet should be followed for 1-3 months.

Many parents wonder whether their child's food allergies will stop as they get older. As they grow, the functions of the liver and intestines and the immune system improve, which allows us to hope for the cessation of allergies to milk, eggs, vegetables, etc., especially if parents take anti-allergic measures. Only 1-2% of children continue to have food allergies into adulthood.

Allergies are an extremely unpleasant and dangerous disease. Severe allergies can even lead to death. In addition, a disease such as asthma often develops against the background of allergies. Unfortunately, the number of people, including infants, suffering from allergies is growing every year.

What is an allergy?

An allergy is a peculiar reaction of the human body to contact with specific proteins. Their entry into the body causes a sharp increase in the production of immunoglobulin E. And its excess, in turn, causes various reactions of the body. An allergen - a protein that causes an allergy - can enter the body in a variety of ways, including through food, through the respiratory tract or through the skin.

Children under 1 year of age are especially susceptible to allergies. Many systems in such children are not yet formed, including the immune system. Therefore, a baby’s reaction to an allergen can be much more severe than an adult’s. And the younger the child, the harder it is for him. So, an allergy in a child at 1 month and an allergy in a child at 4 months will feel completely different.

Many people think that infants are at least free from the risk of developing food allergies. Actually this is not true. The fact is that the composition of breast milk directly depends on what the mother is. That is, the allergen may well enter the child’s body through mother’s milk.

Causes of illness in infants

It is difficult to say what exactly causes allergies, but doctors were still able to identify some patterns. It is known that the risk of developing allergies in a child increases by almost 80% if both of his parents are susceptible to this pathology . If this disease is observed only in the mother, then the risk is much lower: 50%, if only the father - then 30%. However, this does not mean that two allergy sufferers will necessarily have a sick child. The baby does not have a real chance to be healthy. Especially if the parents are attentive to his health.

No less influence on the body is exerted by ecology . By the way, doctors attribute the increased number of allergy sufferers to this factor. Indeed, recently the state of the environment has been constantly deteriorating. Everything is important: where the parents lived and worked before and during conception, where the mother spent her pregnancy, what surrounded her during childbirth, and where the child himself grows. What air does he breathe, what water does he drink, what foods does he eat.

Of course, urban residents have the worst environmental situation: emissions from industrial enterprises, car exhaust gases, all this is mixed with dust and pollen. It turns out to be a real explosive mixture, which we, and most importantly, our children, breathe constantly.

Of course, it is not always possible to choose a place to live, but if there is a chance to spend at least part of your pregnancy outside the city, take it. If it later turns out that the child has an allergy, it is advisable to move to live outside the city altogether. A simple country village would be sufficient.

In the end, what matters most is how was the pregnancy , what complications were present, and how the expectant mother behaved. Any complications inevitably affect the development of the child. Allergies can be caused by any infectious diseases, as well as drug therapy carried out to cure the disease. Chronic diseases that worsen during pregnancy can also affect the development of allergies. Especially if the diseases are related to the respiratory system.

But even if the pregnancy went smoothly, and you did not encounter any complications or diseases, the course of pregnancy can still affect the further development of the pathology. Those children whose mothers abused allergenic foods during pregnancy are at risk. Such as honey, citrus fruits, eggs, milk, caviar and many others. It’s worth avoiding all this, if not giving up, then reducing consumption to a minimum.

Another factor that can cause allergies in a child under one year old is mother smoking . About 50% of children of smoking mothers subsequently suffer from allergies.

Allergy symptoms

In the modern world, almost everyone is familiar with allergy symptoms. Even for those people who have not personally encountered such a problem. So, manifestations of allergies in children under one year old can be:

rashes on the body, peeling, redness, itching;
regurgitation, vomiting, frequent and loose stools, colic, bloating;
runny nose;
bronchospasm;
Quincke's edema is a sudden swelling of the skin, subcutaneous fat and mucous membranes. Because this type of edema develops rapidly, it can lead to death. The fact is that the mucous membranes of the larynx also swell. As a result, air stops flowing into the baby's lungs, and he may suffocate.

The last two symptoms are certainly the most dangerous, as they threaten the child’s life. However, other symptoms are also unpleasant.

Diagnostics

Naturally, in order to diagnose an allergy, these symptoms alone will not be enough. In addition, to prescribe adequate treatment, it is simply necessary to identify the allergen.

To clarify the diagnosis, doctors will carefully examine the child and interview the parents. It is important to describe in detail how, when and after what the first symptoms appeared. A food diary for the mother and child, which details what was eaten, how it was prepared, and what new foods were introduced into the diet, can help with this. It is especially important to keep such a diary in the first months of a child’s life.

In addition, doctors will definitely take from the baby blood analysis. An increase in the amount of immunoglobulin E in the blood clearly indicates an allergy. If the symptoms bothering the child and his parents are associated with problems in the gastrointestinal tract, doctors may recommend an ultrasound of the abdomen. This will eliminate other possible disorders not related to allergies.

You can determine what exactly an infant is allergic to using food diary, if the mother guides him and follows the rules for introducing new foods, methodically excluding different foods from the diet or having his blood tested. Doctors detect the presence of specific immunoglobulins E and determine the allergen.

Allergy treatment

First of all, it is necessary isolate the child from the allergen . If we are talking about a food product, then it should be excluded from the diet of both the child and the mother. In any case, while the child is breastfed. If the baby is fed formula, then the cause of the allergy may well be cow's milk protein, on the basis of which conventional formulas are made. In this case, it is worth replacing it with one in which the milk is replaced with soy (however, it can also cause allergies) or one in which the milk protein is completely hydrolyzed.

Allergies can also be caused by washing powder, soap or shower gel, and any other cosmetic products. They will also have to be replaced. You may have to get rid of your pet. If an allergy is caused by one or another medication, be sure to remember its active ingredient. This information will need to be entered into the chart and communicated to all doctors with whom you deal.

In addition, your doctor will help you choose antihistamine , which will fight allergy attacks if it is not possible to protect the child from the allergen. And this is very likely, for example, at a party.

Prevention

What to do if your child is at risk? How to prevent the development of allergies in children under one year of age? It's too early to panic. You can still raise a healthy child, the main thing is to follow some requirements and recommendations. Which, by the way, will not require too much sacrifice from you.

Maternal nutrition during breastfeeding

First of all, try to maintain breastfeeding for as long as possible. This is generally the best thing a mother can do for her infant.

However, as we already know, just breastfeeding is not enough. It is also important to watch your diet. Just like during pregnancy, you need to limit yourself to certain foods. Namely: citrus fruits, dairy products, eggs, chocolate, salty and sweet, fatty, smoked, overly fried. The list, of course, turns out to be quite impressive, but the health of your baby is worth it.

Choosing formula for artificial feeding

If for some reason breastfeeding is impossible (the mother does not have milk or she needs to go to work), then you should be equally careful when choosing formula milk. If a child is at risk, then it is better to immediately opt not for regular formulas, but for hypoallergenic ones. Part of the milk included in their composition is hydrolyzed, which facilitates the digestion process and also reduces the likelihood of developing an allergic reaction.

There is no need to immediately start feeding specialized formulas for allergy sufferers. This is an expensive pleasure. It is better to contact your pediatrician for help in choosing a hypoallergenic mixture.

Also, remember that the formula must be appropriate for the child's age. The composition of the formula, unlike breast milk, remains unchanged. But the child’s needs change. A mother's milk gradually changes as the baby grows. The mixture can only be changed to a more age-appropriate one.

Introduction of complementary foods

No matter how good breast milk is, over time you will still have to introduce complementary foods. If a woman has enough milk, doctors do not recommend doing this before six months. For bottle-fed or mixed-fed children, complementary foods are introduced earlier, at 4-5 months. And this is the best time to start keeping a food diary. Write down all the new foods you give your child in it. Never introduce more than one product at a time. Take a break of a few days between introducing new foods.

Most often, pediatricians advise starting with water-based porridges. Never use milk. It should not be introduced into the diet of a child under one year of age. After the baby has become comfortable with cereals, you can begin to introduce vegetables.

Doctors advise starting with industrially produced vegetable purees. The first purees must be one-component. It is best to choose zucchini or squash to start with. As a rule, these products fit most easily into a baby’s diet. Give your child only half a teaspoon the first time to make sure there is no allergic reaction to the new product. Then gradually increase the amount you eat.

Be careful with yellow and red vegetables and fruits. Most often they lead to allergic reactions.

Newborn care

However, allergies can be not only food. Therefore, certain rules should be followed not only in nutrition, but also in caring for the baby. Everything is important, starting with the choice of clothes.

Firstly, it is better to prefer clothes made from natural materials. This is especially true for underwear. Secondly, try to buy quality clothes. The desire to save money can backfire. Often, unscrupulous manufacturers use cheap dyes that are not intended for contact with children's skin. By the way, the second tip fully applies to toys.

It is better to take creams, powders, shampoos, even washing powder specially designed for children. In adult cosmetics, unfortunately, there are too many different dyes, fragrances, and preservatives. It’s almost impossible to find even children’s cosmetics without any artificial fragrances. However, fragrances and dyes can also be allergens.

Modern industry strives to make everything as attractive as possible for the buyer. Cosmetics should look good, smell good, but how this will affect the body is the tenth thing. No one will care about the child’s health except the parents. This, by the way, is a good reason to reduce the number of different jars and tubes with children's cosmetics to a minimum.

Unfortunately, no one is immune from allergies. And this fact should encourage all parents to be more attentive to the health of their children. Monitor your child's reaction to new foods, new clothes, toys. Keep track of how he feels at different times of the year. This will allow you to notice changes in a timely manner and begin treatment.

Food allergies in a child. Allergies in a child - causes and symptoms (manifestations). How to correctly diagnose and treat various types of allergies in children How to cure food allergies in a child

How to cope with food allergies in children?

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Allergies in infants

Food allergies in children

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Milk allergy in children

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Allergy to the sun in children

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Allergy to insect bites in children

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What is childhood allergy

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What does allergic conjunctivitis look like?

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Diagnostics: how to find out what your child is allergic to

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