In the vast majority of cases, food allergies develop in babies in the first year of life. It is at this time that the child gets acquainted with various food products. The composition of the baby's microflora by this time has not yet been fully formed, and many large molecules of food products, once in the stomach of the crumbs, simply cannot be digested.
Causes and mechanism of occurrence
By the time the baby is born, most of its organs are not yet fully formed and are in the stage of "ripening". So, the production of enzymes in the digestive tract is reduced. This suggests that the child's pancreas is not yet capable of producing enough enzymes such as trypsin (breaks down proteins), amylase (breaks down carbohydrates), lipase (breaks down fats), and the gastric juice contains a small amount of protease (breaks down protein) etc.
Therefore, many food products are contraindicated for babies up to a certain age. Even dietary fruits, cottage cheese and meat for an adult body are contraindicated in infants. When such products enter the baby's body, due to the high degree of permeability of the intestinal mucosa, food molecules quickly pass into the blood vessels, where they begin to produce IgE antibodies.
The process of sensitization begins - increased sensitivity to certain macromolecules. This means that the child's body has become acquainted with the molecules, has developed antibodies to them, and the next time the same product is eaten, the antibodies will react and an allergic reaction will develop. This food sensitization can sometimes begin in the first days of a child's life.
Mother's nutrition
In the first days of a child's life, it is necessary to pay great attention to the diet of a nursing mother. During this period, it is advisable to limit the excessive consumption of homemade cow's milk, strawberries, chocolate, oranges, nuts, red fish and cottage cheese by the nursing mother.
Early transfer of a newborn to artificial or mixed feeding is very undesirable. But, if this process is inevitable, it is necessary to try to exclude unadapted infant formula and whole cow's milk in the form of the main food product from the child's diet.
Manifestations of food allergies in a child
1. Allergic irritation of the skin (Quincke's edema, atopic dermatitis, strofulus - childhood pruritus, urticaria).
2. Gastrointestinal disorders (nausea, regurgitation, vomiting, flatulence, constipation, colic, diarrhea).
3. Respiratory manifestations (allergic rhinitis, bronchial asthma).
In order to start effective treatment, it is necessary to establish the cause of the disease as soon as possible, i.e. detect allergenic foods. For this purpose, the attending physician collects an allergic history (finds out if relatives have had allergies before), instructs the mother to keep a food diary, where it is necessary to record the body's reaction to new foods. For a more accurate determination of the allergen, skin tests are also necessary.
