Breastfeeding A Baby With Food Allergies

Breast milk does not usually cause allergic reactions in infants. But sometimes mothers suspect that their children may be allergic to something that they themselves consume and pass through breast milk into the infant's body. In fact, only two or three out of every hundred babies who are breastfed show an allergic reaction and this is most often to cow's milk protein in the food taken by the mother.

Even a baby who has never been fed an adapted formula and has never taken food other than breast milk may show signs of a food allergy. In these cases, the child may experience colic, abdominal discomfort, rash (eczema or urticaria), may react with vomiting, severe diarrhea (often with blood in the stool), difficulty breathing, which lasts up to several hours after breastfeeding.

If your baby has established food allergies, you are probably hesitant about how to continue feeding. What's more, will you be able to breastfeed him? You may be surprised to learn that in most cases, the answer is yes.

There are different types of food sensitivity in babies - food allergies and food intolerances.

What is a food allergy?

The term allergy usually refers to reactions that involve the immune system. In these cases, a small amount of allergen (in this case food) can cause a serious reaction from the body.

Allergic-type reactions can occur either fairly quickly after a meal (such as vomiting / reflux, a rash) or a few hours or days later (such as blood in the stool or eczema). The most common foods that cause these reactions are the same basic allergens listed above (cow's milk, soy, wheat, eggs, nuts).

What is food intolerance?

Reactions caused by food intolerances do not involve the immune system and can be quite slow, occurring 24-48 hours or more after eating a particular food. There is also a "dose-effect" when a small amount of food will not cause a reaction, but the consumption of larger amounts will cause a strong reaction in the body.

A baby with food intolerance responds to nutrients coming through breast milk from the food the mother consumes.

There are still no hard indications and recommendations to avoid foods during breastfeeding to prevent certain allergies. Such restrictions are only recommended for breastfed babies who have developed symptoms.

How common are food allergies in babies?

Food allergies are common in babies and young children. Up to eight percent of children under the age of three can develop food allergies. This is more likely to happen to your child if you have a family history of them or other allergic conditions, such as asthma, hay fever or eczema. The link between food allergies and eczema is very strong.

Babies who have severe eczema are more likely to have food allergies. Generally speaking, the earlier eczema appears and the more severe it is, the more likely the child is to develop a food allergy.

What if a particular food seems to be a problem?

The challenge is to find the foods your baby is allergic to. Allergy tests in young children are often unreliable. One way to determine which foods are a problem for the baby is to keep a diary of the food consumed, noting the symptoms the child is experiencing. In this way, it is possible to determine after eating which foods the symptoms worsen.

If you think your baby is reacting to a certain food, eliminate it from your diet for 2-3 weeks to see if the symptoms go away. If the child improves, then this food can be a problem for him. Eliminating food in less than 2 weeks may not give very accurate results. It takes time for the mother and baby's body to be completely free of the particular food.

Symptoms that the child shows usually begin to subside within 5-7 days after the removal of the problem food. The baby cannot improve immediately, especially if the reaction was to food that was regularly present in the mother's diet. Some babies may look worse for about a week before the symptoms begin to disappear. So it takes a few weeks to see an improvement.

One way to confirm that a food is a problem for the baby is to consume it again to see if the baby has the same reaction. If the food is introduced and the baby does not react in the same way as before, then most likely this food is not a problem for him. But if it responds, you will need to limit or avoid it for a while - until the baby gets older or is weaned.

If the infant is only sensitive to a particular food, you may simply limit the amount of food you eat and not eliminate the food completely from your diet. Most babies are sensitive to food within a few months to a year, but also those that last a long time.

Common foods that cause allergies

Any food can potentially cause allergies. However, the most common food allergies in babies and young children are caused by:

• dairy products (all forms of cow's milk, including fresh and yoghurt, cheese, ice cream);
• eggs;
• nuts (peanuts);
• soybeans;
• wheat;

Foods to avoid

It is often enough to simply eliminate all dairy products from the diet. You will need to read all food labels carefully to eliminate foods that could contain dairy products.

Milk is considered a staple food allergen under the Food and Allergens Act. This means that all foods containing milk as an ingredient must be listed on the product label under the Labeling and Consumer Protection Act 2006. If you are unsure about the content of a particular product, you can contact the manufacturer for to specify its ingredients.

Pay attention to the presence of the following ingredients on food labels, and if you come across them, avoid the specific product:

• artificial aromatic oils;
• oil, fats, oil;
• buttermilk;
• casein and caseinates;
• cheese;
• cottage cheese;
• cream;
• egg cream;
• dry milk;
• melted butter;
• lactalbumin;
• lactoglobulin;
• lactoferrin;
• lactulose;
• milk;
• meadow;
• pudding;
• cream;
• whey;
• yoghurt.
• Other ingredients that may include traces of milk protein include:
• caramel candies;
• chocolate;
• fragrances;
• protein-rich flour;
• lactic acid yeast;
• lactose;
• hot dogs, sausages;
• margarine.

The most common symptoms that can be observed

Although food intolerance reactions do not involve the immune system, such as allergies - the symptoms in breastfed babies can be quite similar. Manifested: urticaria (hives) around the mouth, nose and eyes, which can spread throughout the body; slight swelling around the lips and eyes; runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes, itchy mouth, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, colic and others.

The child may also experience a more severe reaction, which includes difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue and throat, and a sudden drop in blood pressure. This reaction is known as anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock, which is life-threatening.

Fortunately, severe reactions are rare. If you suspect that the child will develop a severe allergic reaction, it is necessary to seek emergency help immediately. Do not try to induce vomiting!

The most common allergies

In most cases of allergies to dairy products, children react to the protein (protein) in cow's milk, not to lactose (milk sugar). Therefore, removing lactose-containing products from the diet will not help. Breastfeeding mothers need to eliminate all foods containing cow's milk protein, including cream, yogurt, butter, cheese. They will need to pay special attention to the labels of the foods they buy (and avoid those that contain milk protein).

Most babies overcome their sensitivity by the age of about two. Therefore, it is best to wait about 6 months before reintroducing dairy products.

If you or your baby have a proven egg allergy, it's good to know that:

• many people allergic to eggs are also allergic to chicken;
• some people do not react to well-boiled eggs, but this does not apply to other variations in their preparation;
• Allergy can also occur to albumin, egg powder, ovomucin, livenite, ovomucoid, mayonnaise, ice cream, candy (containing eggs).

One in every 150 children is affected by this type of allergy. It can be quite severe in some cases. Traces of peanuts can be found in almost everything (even baby food, ice cream, cereals), so watch your food labels carefully.

Prevention of food intolerances

• pregnant women should avoid foods to which they are allergic;
• breastfeeding for at least four months can reduce the risk of allergies in children, the appearance of eczema and the development of asthma;
• any foods other than those that cause allergies in the mother should not be excluded from her diet to protect the baby if there is no proven allergy. Recent studies show that the earlier food allergens are introduced into the baby's body through breast milk, the less likely it is to develop an allergy.