As a child grows, his nutritional needs change. At the age of 5-6 months, breast milk or formula can no longer provide an adequate intake of calories, vitamins and nutrients, so complementary foods are introduced at this time. But if the baby is prone to allergies, new foods should be offered to him with caution, and in order to track the reaction to a particular type of food, you need to keep a food diary.
Necessary
- - notebook;
- - pen.
Instructions
Step 1
The child's nutrition diary is useful not only for the mother, but also for the pediatrician: it can be used to determine the child's increased sensitivity to various foods, to identify allergens in a timely manner and exclude them from the diet. If your child has food allergy symptoms, keep a food diary regularly and remember to show it to your doctor.
Step 2
Start a special notebook and line it up into columns: date, time, type of product, quantity, changes (skin, digestive organs, respiratory organs), notes. In the "Date" and "Time" columns, record each meal: breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner, as well as snacks during breaks (apple, cookies, kefir, etc.).
Step 3
In the cell "Type of product" indicate the name, composition and manufacturer. Baby curd or yogurt with various fruit and berry additives can be perceived differently by the baby's body. The same is the case with products of the same name from different manufacturers. In particular, both sunflower and rapeseed oils can be added to meat, vegetable purees and industrial second courses, which give different reactions, and the composition indicated on the label may not correspond to that stated in the name. Make notes about the composition when you prepare food for your child yourself.
Step 4
In the "Quantity" column, indicate the volume of the product eaten by the baby in grams. Introduce a new type of food with 0.5 teaspoon, gradually increasing the amount to the age norm, and note this in the food diary. Keep in mind that a 10 g serving may not cause allergies, but at 60-70 g, a reaction will occur.
Step 5
Divide the column "Changes" into 3 parts. In the first, write down the manifestations on the skin: itching, rashes, swelling, severity, localization. In the second part, note the reaction to the product from the digestive organs: regurgitation, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, especially these phenomena. In the third part, indicate the response of the respiratory system to the introduction of new food: runny nose, cough, shortness of breath. Also, write down the time of manifestation of a particular reaction of the body to the product.
Step 6
However, there are a number of reasons that can be misleading about whether your baby is allergic to food. For example, on the day of the introduction of a new type of food, he was vaccinated, he took medications, put on linen, washed with new powder, etc. Therefore, be sure to indicate such circumstances in the "Notes" section. It is possible that the next time and under different conditions, the child will perceive the new product normally.
