How to Help Your Child with Food Allergies

Health Quick Tip Help Your Child Cope With Food Allergies

by: News Canada

(NC)-Some children have problems with certain foods, ranging from mild intolerances to life-threatening ana-phylactic shock. Indeed, any food can trigger an allergic reaction, with the most common being cow's milk, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish and shellfish, soy and wheat products. And while not all reactions are life-threatening, it is important to note that children often need to be


	Baby Food Allergies - How To Identify And Avoid Them Christine Albury Many parents find the risk of baby food allergies one of the most worrying aspects of introducing new foods to their baby. But there are simple steps you can take to minimise potential problems and make your child's introduction to solid food a safe and happy one. Allergic reactions take place when your baby's immune system mistakenly treats a harmless substance as a harmful one. Baby food allergy symptoms include diarrhea, eczema, nausea, constipation and watery or red eyes. Very rarely, a serious reaction known as allergic shock can occur. This can cause the throat and tongue to swell dangerously, which could lead to choking. In this situation, professional medical help must be sought immediately. Baby food allergies should not be confused with food intolerance. A baby with food intolerance would have difficulty in digesting a particular type of food, which can be caused by many other things besides an allergen. In either case, diagnosis should be made by a medical professional. In order to prevent baby food allergies such as these, or to identify foods to which your baby reacts, it is important to follow these simple guidelines -- 1. Try to delay feeding your baby solid food until he is at least 6 months of age. His immune system will be better developed by this stage. 2. Only introduce one new food at a time and wait for a few days to see if a reaction occurs. It will then be easy to spot the "problem" food and eliminate it from your baby's diet. 3. Avoid foods that are known to be more likely to cause allergic reactions. Examples of such foods include eggs (particularly the whites), shellfish, gluten and citrus fruits. 4. Decide whether or not your baby is at a particularly high risk of developing allergies -- for example, do you suffer from an allergy yourself? This can often lead to an increased risk of allergies for your baby, although not necessarily to the same allergen (i.e. the substance responsible for the reaction). 5. Discuss any concerns with a medical professional. Whilst it is sensible to be cautious, it is still important to remember that baby food allergies only affect around 8% of children. So try to keep things in perspective, introduce new foods individually and stay alert for possible reactions -- these measures will give you the confidence to safely introduce the delights of solid food to your little one. About the author: Christine Albury is the author of http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com , helping you become head chef for a very special little customer.

exposed to the allergen more than once before a serious reaction appears. Certain allergens, for example, peanut, are more commonly associated with severe reactions, but any food can cause anaphylaxis. If there are any concerns, consultation with a doctor, qualified in allergic reactions, is recommended.

Most parents know that if their child has been diagnosed by an allergist to be at risk for a severe reaction, injectable adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, must be administered rapidly, no matter how mild the early symptoms appear. Many admit however that they need more help when it comes to the best, and most effective plan-of-action.

As part of a nationwide initiative to answer pressing questions on anaphylaxis, a special pharmacist-directed, Health-Watch for Children Day is planned at 800 Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix locations, on Thursday, Sept. 19. Pharma-cists at these locations will conduct a one-on-one educational session with allergic individuals, parents, or caregivers of children with food, and other potentially life-threatening allergies. The sessions will include a demonstration on how to administer the medication with an auto-injector; how to recognize early symptoms; and what to do should an anaphylactic reaction occur.

Anaphylaxis Canada, and Association Quebecois des Allergies Alimentaires have endorsed the Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix initiative on this important health focus, and suggest that the Sept. 19 information day will go a long way to provide information and clarification. Contact your local Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix for an appointment.

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

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