Proofing and recognizing allergies in children

An allergy an overreaction of the body’s immune system to substances it considers ‘invaders’ but which are often harmless to other people.  They are often characterized by symptom such as running/stuffy nose, swelling, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing and rashes.

Though allergies have been linked to genetic factors which mean a child can inherit the tendency to develop allergies from their parents; there are ways to try and lessen the occurrence and severity of allergic reactions. These include:

1. Avoiding or taking less of certain foods during pregnancy. This is especially important if allergies for certain foods run in the family. If this is the case for you, consider limiting your intake of certain foods which are known to be potentially allergenic such as eggs, milk, shellfish and nuts.  Delaying the introduction of these foods in the child’s diet once they are born can also lessen chances of the child becoming allergic to them.
2. Exclusively breastfeeding  your baby for at least the first six months until the intestines are mature and better able to keep possibly allergenic proteins out of the blood.
3. Allergy-proof the home, especially the child’s room and beddings.
4. Don’t allow smokers to smoke in your home or near your child. Hair and clothing can also carry allergens from the cigarette smoke which the baby will be exposed to.
5. Delay sending your child to daycare and select one carefully to ensure that there is adequate space and children spend much of the time outside.
6. If your home is located where there are more allergenic plants and foliage, busy traffic or the home is dump and mold-infested, you may need to move.

Recognizing allergy symptoms

A challenge many parents may face is recognizing that their child has allergies and what they are allergic to. Below are some tips to help you recognize symptoms of allergy in your child before you employ the often expensive allergy tests.

1. How long do symptoms persist?

Coughs and colds, especially during winter are very common so if a child has back to back colds and mild allergies, you probably don’t need to worry much. These resolves themselves out within three months. However, if you have young infants, investigate for allergies to formula or food in the mother’s breast milk after about a month.

2. How much is the child affected by the symptoms?

Determine whether the symptoms are affecting the child’s sleep, quality of life, daily activities and active play. If the effect is not adverse, you may not need to seek extensive treatment.

3. Are the symptoms continuous?

In certain seasons, allergies may cause symptoms that are continuously present over a long period of time. If your child displays the symptoms for over five days across several months, this could be a case of allergies. Normal cold symptoms would be severe in the first two/three days and get better afterwards followed by complete wellness. Weeks without symptoms between periods of attack could indicate a normal cold.

Colds are also common during winter so if symptoms persist until spring and summer, then it may be a case of allergies.

For food allergies, symptoms will normally appear immediately or a short time after the child eats a certain food and the child will otherwise be symptom-free if the suspect food is not in their diet.

4. Is there a family history of allergies?

Be more vigilant to the likelihood of allergies if there is a history of allergies in your family. Studies indicate that the chances of a child developing allergies rise to 75% if both parents have skin or nasal allergies from 25% if one parent has allergies.