What foods are babies prone to allergies? What foods are prone to allergies?

When parents add complementary foods to their babies, it is difficult to determine whether the baby is allergic. Therefore, there are many foods that need special attention when adding them. Today, I will introduce to you the common allergic foods for babies. Please see the detailed introduction below.

What foods are babies prone to allergies

Foods that babies are most likely to be allergic to: yeast, shellfish, berries, buckwheat, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus fruits, soy, sugar, tomatoes, wheat, coconut, nuts, peas, corn, dairy products, pork, peanut butter, mustard, and egg whites.

Foods that babies are least likely to be allergic to: apples, apricots, asparagus, avocados, barley, beets, broccoli, carrots, safflower oil, salmon, pumpkin, sunflower oil, sweet potatoes, turkey, veal, cauliflower, chicken, cranberries, dates, grapes, honey, lamb, lettuce, mangoes, oats, papaya, peaches, pears, raisins, rice, and rye.

How to prevent baby food allergies

1. Don’t add complementary food too early

Babies and toddlers are most susceptible to allergies because their digestive systems are not yet fully developed. It is best to start adding complementary foods when the baby is 6 months old, especially in families where allergies are hereditary. If both parents have a history of food allergies, the probability of their children suffering from the disease is about 50%; if only one parent has a history of allergies, about 1/3 of their children will suffer from the disease.

2. Choose baby food carefully

Foods that are likely to cause allergies in infants and young children include milk, soybeans, seafood, wheat, and peanuts. If the above food ingredients are mixed into food, it will also cause allergies in children. When purchasing, you should pay attention to food labels. Many babies have allergies that parents did not expect because they ate processed foods.

3. Add each complementary food every 4-7 days

Try new foods for your baby, and wait 4 to 7 days between each new food. That way, if your baby has an allergic reaction to a certain food, you will be able to tell which food is causing it.

Allergy symptoms usually appear within minutes to hours after consuming a food.

How to identify your baby's allergens

So what’s the best way to deal with baby’s food allergies?

1. Add complementary food, a good time to check for allergic foods

Starting to add complementary foods after the baby is 6 months old is a good way to avoid food allergies. When adding complementary foods, the principle is to add one item at a time, that is, only add one complementary food at a time, and observe whether the baby often spits up, has diarrhea, or even develops a rash. If the complementary food is eaten for a week without any problems, you can add another complementary food and continue to observe for a week. This is mainly to observe whether the baby's reaction to each food is normal. If an allergy occurs, it will be clearer which food needs to be included in the baby's allergy blacklist.

2. If allergies are detected, use the elimination method to identify the allergens

If your baby is very prone to allergies, you need to use some quick relief methods and find out which food is causing the allergy as soon as possible. First, eliminate all suspected foods from your baby's diet at the same time for at least 1 week, or until the allergy symptoms are significantly improved. Then, reintroduce one food every 1 week and watch to see if the allergy symptoms reappear. Finally, if the food allergy reappears during the recovery period, the food needs to be eliminated from your baby's diet for at least 4 months, and then slowly reintroduced in small amounts.

3. TIPS: Timetable for adding complementary food

After 6 months, gradually add a new food every week, starting with vegetables, rice, cereals, fruits, and egg yolks, and appropriately add lean meat and animal liver, and observe for any adverse reactions. If allergic, stop using immediately.

After 9 months, fish, wheat or bean products can be consumed, but they should be increased in single varieties and butter and lard should be avoided.

No whole milk before 12 months of age.

Before 18 months, avoid foods that are likely to cause allergies, such as peanuts, chocolate, butter, nuts, and shelled seafood.

4. Three principles for adding allergenic foods

The body's allergic reaction to food is affected by many factors and is "time-sensitive". If the doctor treats the baby promptly, some restricted foods can be gradually added back into the baby's diet after the baby's symptoms subside. However, the following principles should be observed:

Principle 1: When adding foods back into the diet, first choose those with high nutritional value and low allergic reaction levels.

Principle 2: Add one food at a time, starting with a small amount and working your way up. Before adding another food, make sure that it will not cause an allergic reaction.

Principle three: It must be a single variety. For example, if you have been allergic to milk before, you should only drink milk for the time being, and avoid chocolate-flavored, strawberry-flavored formula milks. This will reduce the chance of allergies.