Food Allergies in Children
Reactions that occur as a result of the immune system’s mistakenly perceiving a harmless nutrient as harmful under normal conditions is called food allergy.
Food allergies seen in childhood sometimes disappear spontaneously during the development process, and sometimes they can continue into adulthood.
Children with suspected food allergy should be examined by a specialist without delay. If food allergy is not treated, it can cause many problems from shortness of breath to nausea, from vomiting to itching on the skin, and in advanced cases it can even lead to life risks.
Food allergies can affect human life starting from infancy, childhood and even in the womb. In order for the findings related to this problem to occur, the patient must be sensitized by exposure to the food that causes allergies several times.
What Are the Symptoms of Food Allergies in Children?
Food allergy can be seen with the consumption of allergic food, as well as as a result of smelling, breathing or touching these foods.
In severe allergic cases, even if the person does not eat the food in question, it can show a serious allergic reaction when it is cooked, eaten, or even when kissed by the person eating that food.
Which Foods Cause Allergies?
All kinds of food have the potential to cause allergies. But some cause allergies more often than others. In children, this group consists of milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, sesame and kiwi.
Allergic runny nose, migraine, skin flushing, itching and digestive system disorders can be seen due to frequent consumption of chocolate and cocoa. Rarely, honey also causes allergies.
This problem, which can affect many systems, manifests itself with different findings;
- Breathing, shortness of breath, or wheezing
- difficulty swallowing
- hoarseness or difficulty speaking
- swelling of the face, lips, tongue and throat
- cold, clammy, or pale blue skin
- paleness, feeling dizzy
- nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- fast and weak heartbeat
- feeling dizzy with a sudden drop in blood pressure
- loss of consciousness
What are the Diagnostic Methods of Food Allergy in Children?
A full physical examination of the child should be performed by a specialist physician. For the tests to be done after the physical examination, the physician should be informed about the foodstuffs that the child ate and drank for a week.
Some of the tests for food allergies;
Skin Prick Test
The skin prick test is a test that measures your child’s “IgE” antibodies in response to certain allergens or triggers. Small amounts of solutions containing different allergens are given via a small scratch or injection to your child’s skin surface or under the skin.
If the patient has a reaction to the given solution, this symptom will appear as a small red area. The reaction of the child’s skin to the skin prick test does not always mean that he is allergic to the allergens that cause the reaction.
Blood Tests
Blood tests for allergies measure “IgE” antibodies to specific allergens in the blood. Another commonly used blood test is called the Radioallergosorbent test or RAST. Blood tests can be used in patients who cannot have skin tests.
As with skin testing, a positive blood test does not always mean that your child is not allergic to this allergen. In addition, the ELISA method is also used for these tests.
Food Provocation Tests
This test should be done by an allergist. It is done by giving the child a small amount of potential allergen substances by mouth or inhalation and observing.
Treatment Methods
This ailment is basically treated by removing the allergen from the diet.
In this method, which is called the elimination diet, it is important for the patient to be aware of the necessity of not consuming anything that contains this food while removing the allergenous food from the diet: For example, a child with cow’s milk allergy should not eat any food containing milk and dairy products. In addition to milk, it is also important not to consume cheese, yogurt or foods made from them.
Untreated food allergies can be life-threatening. Deaths due to anaphylaxis are frequently encountered in allergies related to peanuts and tree nuts, which have increased in recent years.
In childhood food allergies, it is also common for food allergies to develop and food allergies to disappear with the removal of food from the diet.
For example, cow’s milk allergy, which is common in children, may disappear in adulthood, but in allergies to tree nuts such as peanuts, hazelnuts and walnuts, and to fish and shellfish, the allergy can continue for a lifetime.