Related concepts:

Food hypersensitivity, Oral allergy syndrome, Allergic proctocolitis

Introduction to food allergies:

Many parents of infants and toddlers are told that food allergies don’t happen that young, or that they are very rare. We’ve learned that food allergies certainly do happen and that they are common – affecting about 1 in 18 children before the 3rd birthday.

What are food allergies?

Food allergy is the name given to a variety of situations in which specific foods provoke some type of over-zealous immune response, which produces symptoms.

Because the developing immune system is quite complex and has mechanisms to protect us from what we swallow, food allergies are also complex, and can result from a variety of different mechanisms and cause a variety of symptoms.

Celiac disease is an immune response to gluten – proteins found in wheat and other grains.

Lactose intolerance is not a food allergy. A missing enzyme makes milk difficult to digest, creating gas and loose stools. And the flushed cheeks that some children get when eating citrus or tomatoes are not usually an allergy.

Who gets food allergies?

Food allergies are common, especially in the first 3 years of life. They are more common in those with a family history of food allergies, or in those with a broader allergic family history (allergy, eczema, or asthma).

Food allergies are also more common in babies who are exposed to allergic foods at an early age. About 90 percent of food allergies in babies and children are to one of 5 foods: cow’s milk, soy, eggs, peanuts, or wheat.

Most children with food allergies have an allergy to only one food, although multiple allergies are possible. A sizeable minority of those allergic to cow’s milk are also allergic to soy.

What are the symptoms of food allergies?

Food allergy can be so severe that the most trivial contact with the food causes immediate itching, tingling, and/or swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat.

A food allergy can trigger full-blown anaphylactic shock. Most life-threatening food allergies are to peanuts, nuts, shellfish, or fish.

Usually the symptoms of food allergy are much more mild. Still, babies with food allergies may well be fussier than their peers. Colic can be caused by food allergies (either to the formula or to a food in the mother’s diet).

Gastrointestinal symptoms are often the easiest to recognize. A food allergy might cause loose stools, excess gas, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. Infants will sometimes have streaks of blood or mucus in the stools, especially with allergies to cow’s milk. Sometimes the amount of blood is too small to see, but still enough to cause anemia.