The Healthy Way

Monday, August 17, 2009

Is Your Child Allergic?

Q: Dear Elena: How can I slowly incorporate the more popular allergen foods into my 2 year old diet to keep an eye on his reactions? Should I be looking for any specific reactions?

A: It is important to determine if your child is prone to allergies in the first place. Not all children have problems with food intolerances.

Food allergies most often begin in the first 1 to 2 years of life with the process of sensitization, by which the immune system responds to specific food proteins. Once sensitized, the allergic individual may experience an adverse reaction on exposure to a sufficient dose of that food. Over time, most food allergies are lost, however, some foods can cause a long-lived allergic reaction. For example, whereas most milk and egg allergies are outgrown, most peanut and tree nut allergies are not.

In addition, whereas some children may lose their milk allergy in a matter of months, the process may take as long as 8 or 10 years in other children.

You should start with the least offending foods first and work up to the most offending last. Don't introduce more then one food at a time and allow sufficient time for symptoms to develop. Often the frequency of food consumption determines the level of sensitivities. If your child is eating something daily chances are much higher he will develop some degree of sensitivity to the offending food then if he is consuming it only twice a week. General rule is to eat the same food 3 to four times in a week and see if there is any reaction.

Symptoms may vary so you have to be diligent. Not all symptoms are physical such as headaches, runny nose and itchy throat, red cheeks or even seizures if severe. Symptoms can often be emotional or behavioral so it becomes difficult to notice; you have to bee very observant and know your child's behavior well. Some signs to look for are: sudden fatigue, inability to concentrate, anxiety or mood swings. Hyperactivity or aggressiveness can also be as a result of food allergy.

Food sensitivities can be quite variable. For example, eating a suspected food during the daytime when the child is active may not cause problems. However, the same food eaten before bedtime may lead to severe congestion throughout the night.

Some of the most common foods your child could be sensitive? Products with additives or preservatives; foods containing natural salicylates; including some fruits and nuts; diary; wheat or grains; chocolate; caffeine and sugar. Sometimes, it's not a particular food, but foods eaten in combination of others such as eating fruit and sugar together.

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Dr. Elena Krasnov is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director of the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic. Submit your questions online here