How to Recognize a Baby's Food Allergy

Introducing solid food to your baby is one of the joys of parenting a young child, but it's important to watch for the emergence of food allergies. When some babies are exposed to certain food proteins, their immune systems treat the proteins as invaders and generate antibodies to attack that protein. These antibodies then react in the form of an allergy each time the baby eats that food. Follow these steps to recognize a food allergy in your baby.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Introduce one new food at a time and leave at least three days in between new foods so you can observe his reaction. This will allow you to pinpoint exactly which food he's allergic to. For example, if you give your baby peaches for the first time on Monday, give him peaches again on Tuesday and on Wednesday. On Thursday, you may introduce another new food.

2. Look for coughing, sneezing, hives, vomiting, excessive gas, swelling of the skin and eczema. These are common signs of food allergies.

3. Watch your baby carefully when feeding her a food item for the first time. Allergy symptoms most often emerge within minutes but sometimes up to two hours following the ingestion of the food.

4. Check your baby's diapers frequently when you introduce a new food. Diarrhea is another common sign of a food allergy in babies.

5. Contact your baby's pediatrician if you notice any signs of a food allergy, no matter how mild they may seem. It's best to err on the side of caution and get a doctor's advice on treating the allergy.

6. Call 911 immediately if your baby has trouble breathing, if his face or lips have swelled, or if he has severe vomiting or diarrhea after a meal. These are signs of a severe food allergy, and your baby's airway can close up in minutes, so it's important to have medical personnel attend to him right away.

7. Keep in mind that your baby can develop an allergy to a food even if it's a food he's eaten before without a problem. This is especially true for babies whose parents have food allergies. For example, if one parent has an allergy to milk, the baby may not show signs of an allergy the first couple of times she drinks milk. However, she may eventually develop symptoms of a milk allergy.

Tips & Warnings

• Babies whose parents both have food allergies have a much greater chance of developing food allergies than those babies whose parents do not. If you or your baby's other parent are allergic to certain foods, watch your baby carefully for signs of a food allergy when feeding her those foods.
• If your baby shows signs of a food allergy on a regular basis, her pediatrician may recommend she receive allergy testing. Following testing, the allergist should be able to let you know which foods are causing the allergies.
• Severe allergic reactions can be life-threatening, so take all allergic reactions seriously, and phone your baby's pediatrician once you notice the signs.
• To avoid food allergies, don't give your baby eggs, milk, peanuts, soy, tree nuts, fish or strawberries. These foods cause the majority of food allergies in babies. Check with your baby's pediatrician for his recommendations on when to introduce these foods.
• Ensure that anyone caring for your baby knows which foods she is allergic to and what to feed her. Also make sure her babysitters know what to do if she shows signs of an allergic reaction.

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