Most Common Food Allergies in Children: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Source: s-nbcnews

Cases of food allergies in children are more frequent among those under 3 years. It is because of the action of the immune system that kids develop symptoms of allergies. So, identify them and make sure your child stays away from them.

Also learn about the causes, symptoms and treatments to get a better idea about this condition.

Food allergy is an allergic reaction that happens due to a body's immune response. When a body's immune system detects food as a harmful agent within the system it reacts.

In many cases, it is mild and often goes away with time without causing anything serious or bringing considerable attention.

However, children with a food allergy can have a next attack that may lead to life-threatening situations. So, parents should take necessary precautions related to the problem of food/foods for their children.

A food allergy develops when the immune system reacts in an abnormal way. It detects some proteins in specific foods as harmful even when they are not and releases a few chemicals that create an allergic reaction.

Though the reason why children have to suffer from food allergies is not clear. The immunity system of a child sends IgE (immunoglobulin) antibodies which react to certain foods and releases histamine and other chemicals. The formation of such chemicals leads to asthma, itching in the mouth, hives, stomach pains, diarrhea, trouble breathing, etc.

The main cause of food allergies in children can be food. Here are some of the foods consuming which can cause allergic reactions in children:

• Wheat
• Peanut
• Milk
• Eggs
• Tree nuts
• Shellfish (like lobster, and shrimp)

Out of these milk, peanuts and eggs are the common reasons why children undergo food allergies. Though many children can outgrow allergies with time, some food allergies remain lifelong. A pediatrician can perform certain tests to understand and track food allergies in children.

Symptoms of some of the common food allergies in children will start to appear after food gets into the system and digestion starts taking place. Here is a list of some of the most prominent symptoms that children show due to food allergy:

• Diarrhea: It is a condition involving frequent loose and watery bowel movements that generally, lasts for a few days. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, and vomiting.
• Vomiting: This involves an involuntary and forceful discharge of stomach contents. Frequent vomiting associates itself with dehydration and severe weakness.
• Hives: Hives are raised welts on the skin that are itchy and sometimes have a red or pink shade to them. Generally, it associates itself with allergic reactions and goes away in a few days. However, it can pose a bigger threat if it turns out to be chronic.
• Cramps: Cramps are involuntary and painful contractions of one or more muscles. Generally, muscle cramps are harmless and go away within a short amount of time. However, it shows that there is some underlying condition that is causing it to strain.
• Swelling: Swelling is a situation when one’s skin, organs or any other part of someone’s body inflates. A build-up of fluid in the organs or under the skin causes swelling.
• Difficulty Breathing: This condition involves a person having difficulties inhaling or exhaling. It also comes with a feeling that one is unable to get enough air or oxygen. It is a very difficult situation to overcome, one must seek immediate professional help and sort out the issue.
• Eczema: In eczema, there is inflammation in patches of skin that gets rough, itchy, and cracked. It also involves turning into blisters. Atopic dermatitis is the most common type of eczema that happens to children.
• Lower Blood Pressure: A blood pressure reading below 90 for the top number and below 60 for the bottom number is low blood pressure. Low blood pressure can sometimes go unnoticed, however, it can have effects like dizziness and even fainting.
• Wheezing: Wheezing is a condition where one’s airway has a partial block and it creates a scratchy or screeching sound. It can go away without a person’s doing anything, however, if it continues to stay one has to seek professional help.

The reason behind an immune response against a specific type of food is not clear. An immune system sends out antibodies and reacts to food. The immunoglobulin antibodies' reaction with the food releases chemicals like histamine which causes allergic reactions in the body.

However, one can look at what are the most common food allergies in children:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Tree nuts
• Wheat
• Sesame
• Soy
• Shellfish
• Peanuts
• Fish 

Among these foods, peanuts, eggs, and milk cause the most common allergic reactions in children. However, shellfish, fish, peanuts, and tree nuts cause the most severe reactions.

When one will seek help from a medical professional about their child's health who is having allergic reactions, a doctor will require details regarding:

• The child’s symptoms
• The time it takes for those symptoms to appear after eating a particular kind of food
• If there is any family member who has allergies or not 

Then one may require physical tests such as:

• Blood Test: They will perform blood tests to identify IgE antibodies and types of foods.

• Skin Test: Skin test, also known as skin prick test or scratch test involves introducing various elements to the skin by pricking the skin and waiting to see what elements have caused reddish swollen spots. By that, they can identify what elements can cause an allergic reaction in that individual.

If these tests fail to identify the cause, then a medical professional can opt for a food challenge. In this test, they will closely inspect a patient in a controlled environment where the patient will eat increasing amounts of potentially allergenic foods and wait for the symptoms to appear. Furthermore, people also perform this test to see if anyone has outgrown the allergies.

There are no medicines involved in the treatment of food allergies. So, parents will have to follow three steps to treat food allergies in children:

Step 1: Remove the Item From Diet

The primary treatment is to avoid the food that is causing an allergic reaction. So, after finding out the foods that can cause allergies in a child, parents should remove them from the child’s daily diet. If one is breastfeeding a child, the mother should also avoid taking those foods as allergenic elements can transmit through milk.

Step 2: Replace It With Other Nutritious Food

Parents should, however, not forget to balance out the deficiency caused by the absence of those foods by implementing some vital nutrients like vitamins and minerals into the diet.

Step 3: Consult Doctor

After a period of 3 to 6 months, by consulting a health care provider, one should try to give those types of foods to their children to see if they have outgrown the allergies. Generally, they gradually get accustomed to those foods.

Food allergy and food intolerance are different things, but people can confuse them due to their common symptoms and source. Physical reactions to specific foods are common, so an ability to identify each can help one to take proper action when necessary. To know the differences between food allergies and intolerance, refer to the sections below:

• Food allergy occurs when the immune system of a body sees food as an invader which results in chemical reaction. On the other hand food intolerance occurs either when the body cannot properly digest a body or the food causes irritation to the digestive system.
• The primary difference between a food allergy is that it happens due to the immune system and its reaction to elements in some foods. So, it only takes the tiniest bite of an allergenic food to start off an allergy reaction. However, someone who has food intolerance can take controlled amounts of food and avoid reactions.
• Another major difference is that food allergy can cause a variety of reactions and can be life-threatening at times. Whereas, food intolerance generally affects the digestive system and has symptoms that are less consequential in nature. Food intolerance symptoms include gas, belly pains, nausea, etc.

This article discusses what food allergies in children are along with their causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment methods. It can help parents who have children below 3 years or above have a better grasp of the condition and how to deal with it.