It is estimated, startlingly, that 4 in 10 school age children have at least one allergic condition. Regardless of the allergy, it will still stem from the same thing – an immune system response to something the body, mistakenly, believes is attacking it.

No-one knows for sure why a natural food that is both enjoyable and healthy for the majority of us can make some people ill enough to need to see their doctor. People react badly to food for a number of reasons and with a variety of symptoms. Unpleasant reactions to food are a complex puzzle that scientists are still desperately trying to unravel.

Generally the foods most likely to cause problems are the foods we eat everyday. In Britain and other Western countries, wheat and milk are common culprits because they are consumed, in most cases, on a regular basis by most people.

It is very important to be aware of the difference between food allergies and food intolerances as these terms are often used interchangeably when there is an adverse reaction to food, but they do not mean the same thing.

Treatment
Parents who suspect that their child is reacting badly to certain foods may be tempted to tackle the problem themselves. However, this can lead to an unbalanced, unhealthy and less enjoyable diet. Restricting everyday foods can be particularly harmful for babies and small children, who eat less varied foods anyway. It’s also important to never cut out foods on the basis of unproven tests, or without expert advice on how to keep meals balanced. If your child is diagnosed with a food allergy / intolerance, you will need expert medical advice on how to plan an enjoyable and healthy balanced diet.

If you notice a pattern forming with your child feeling unwell after eating certain foods the first thing to do is consult your doctor. Patience is the key factor from here on as it isn’t always easy for doctors or scientists to pin down whether someone reacts badly to certain foods and there is no ‘quick’ test that can be taken.

On some occasions the cause of food intolerance is obvious by the immediate effect that occurs on eating a particular food. In this case, the treatment is simply to avoid that particular food but in most cases the suspected food is much more difficult to trace.

Food allergies are not the only cause of unpleasant reactions to food and blaming symptoms on food without medical advice could be dangerous as the symptoms may be due to an illness that needs diagnosing and treatment.

Your doctor may ask you to keep a detailed diary of the food your child eats along with the symptoms as they arise. This diary may point to the ‘problem’ food.

What Exactly Is A Food Allergy?
A food allergy occurs when the immune system reacts when it thinks something is harmful.
Once the immune system decides that a particular food is harmful, it creates anti-bodies to it. The result of this is that the anti-body release is a healthy one, mobilizing the body’s defenses effectively against attack. However, in some cases, the immune system, may also react by producing unpleasant allergic side effects that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin or cardiovascular system.
Symptoms can start within minutes or take up to two hours after the sufferer has eaten the food to which they are allergic.

Food allergy generally begins in childhood, but the good news is that many outgrow early allergies by the age of 3-5 years. However, there is no cure for some life long allergies and the only treatment is to avoid the problem food altogether.

What Is Intolerance?
Unlike a food allergy, food intolerance does not involve the immune system. It is a condition where the body is temporarily incapable of digesting certain foods, caused when your digestive system does not produce enough of a certain chemical or enzyme that is needed to help break down a particular food. For instance, lactose (milk sugar) intolerance occurs when the sufferer lacks an enzyme responsible for digesting lactose.
Symptoms of food intolerance can include bloating, diarrhea, itching – both of the eyes and skin, rashes and vomiting.

One of the main differences between allergy and intolerance is that if the trigger food is avoided for a period of time, you may find your child is then able to tolerate it in moderate amounts without any further problems.

However, food intolerance is very difficult to diagnose and its symptoms can easily be misdiagnosed as a food allergy. Therefore, if you suspect that your child has an intolerance or allergy to a common food you should speak to your doctor who will perform some diagnostic tests.

What Are The Most Common Food Allergies / Symptoms?

It’s possible to be allergic to any food but the most common ones are;
Milk (protein allergy & lactose intolerance)
Nuts
Eggs
Wheat based products (wheat allergy & gluten intolerance)
Fish & Shellfish
Berry fruits
Chocolate

Symptoms of Allergic And Intolerant Reactions To Food

Respiratory: Runny nose or nasal congestion, sneezing, asthma (difficulty breathing), coughing, wheezing, itchy / watery eyes
Skin: Swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, face and/or throat, Urticaria (hives), rashes or redness, itching, eczema
Gastrointestinal: Abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, colic, bloating
Anaphylactic Shock: This may cause the lips and tongue to swell, wheezing and difficulty breathing and requires immediate medical attention.

Can Food Allergies / Intolerances Be Prevented?

Breast-feeding for at least 4-6 months seems to offer some protection against the onset of an allergy / intolerance ,but , if there is a family history of atopic disease (asthma, eczema, hayfever etc.) or another family member suffers from a food allergy / intolerance your child could run a higher risk than others.

Milk: Cows Milk Protein Allergy

This is the most common allergy in babies. Their immature immune system is particularly sensitive and can easily react to the foreign protein in cow’s milk. Breast milk is the best milk for babies, however, if you are unable to, or do not want to breast-feed, or your baby is sensitive to cows milk based infant formula, consult your doctor who may recommend either a soya based formula or a specially designed hypoallergenic formula.
Unfortunately, if your child has a cow’s milk protein allergy, this will more than likely mean that all dairy products, including cheese, yoghurt, butter, ice cream and chocolate will have to be removed from their diet.

However, milk-free vegetable or soya margarine may be substituted for butter. Vegan cheeses made from soya protein are also available from health food shops and are a tasty alternative to dairy. Tofu is another good alternative source of protein and calcium and there are a number of soya based (non-dairy) yoghurts and desserts available and carob is a great replacement for chocolate.

The good news is that 80-90% of children tend to grow out of a milk protein allergy by the time they go to school as babies rapidly learn to tolerate a range of foods in the early months of life. When the child has experienced a full range of foods – usually by the age of 3 – their body has built up a tolerance threshold so intolerances are less common.

Its worth keeping in mind that if you breast-feed, eating certain foods like dairy products, eggs, oranges or wheat, the allergic substances may be transmitted through your milk. This may cause a reaction in your baby, again, particularly if there is a family history of atopic disease.

To begin with, start weaning with low allergen foods like lamb meat, chicken, baby rice, root vegetables, apples and pears, introducing new foods one at a time for 2-3 days so that any adverse reactions can be traced to the trigger food.

There is a huge amount of anxiety surrounding food allergies which makes parents understandably nervous when feeding their babies. However, unless there is a family history, food allergies affect only a very small minority of babies.

With babies being weaned onto solid foods later (between 4-6 months), the incidence of food allergy in young babies has become less common. However, it is still babies under the age of 18 months who are most likely to develop an allergy as their immune systems are not yet fully developed, which is why the introduction of foods such as eggs and gluten should be delayed.
Lactose Intolerance

Lactose is the sugar in milk and intolerance is the inability to digest this sugar because of the lack of a digestive enzyme called lactase in the gut. Symptoms only affect the digestive system – diarrhea, cramping, flatulence and bloating which may begin between half an hour and two hours after eating or drinking foods containing lactose. Lactose intolerance can be hereditary, where the body simply doesn’t produce enough lactase or it can follow a period of gastroenteritis. Following gastroenteritis, the sites where lactase is produced may be damaged and therefore unable to digest the lactose, causing problems. In a few weeks to months, the enzyme begins to be produced again and lactose is again digested normally.

Eggs

Intolerance to eggs is greatest in babies under 1 year and much less common after the age of two. The reaction is usually a swelling around the mouth, often within seconds. It’s important to check labels carefully for hidden sources of egg. Most commercial processed cooked pastas (including those used in prepared foods such as soup) contain egg or are processed on equipment shared with pasta containing eggs.
Nuts

Peanuts are the trigger for one of the most severe allergic reactions – anaphylactic shock. This reaction causes the lips and tongue to swell, wheezing and difficulty breathing and if it is not treated in time, it can be fatal. In families with a history of any kind of food allergy it is advisable to avoid all products containing peanuts or unrefined peanut oil until the child is 3 years old. Whole nuts should never be given to children under the age of 5 anyhow, due to the risk of choking.

Again, check all labels carefully and be aware that many chocolates and sweets contain nuts unless they specifically state otherwise.

Fish & Shellfish

Allergic reactions to fish and shellfish are commonly reported to both adults and children. Reactions can be severe and can cause anaphylactic shock. Some hidden sources of fish can be found in Caesar salad dressings and Worcestershire Sauce.

Wheat

Another common allergy, especially in children stems from wheat. Many parents introduce wheat much too early into their children’s diets. Wheat allergic people have an anti-body response to wheat protein. Sufferers need only avoid wheat products and many wheat allergic children outgrow the condition.

Gluten Intolerance - (Coeliac Disease)

Wheat contains a particular protein called gluten. Gluten is difficult to digest and because of its abrasive effect, it can cause damage to the intestines. Gluten intolerance symptoms are very specific – in babies they consist of pale, pungent stools, loss of appetite, bloating and poor growth. These symptoms usually develop after grains are introduced into the diet.
Gluten is also found in rye, barley and oats and is therefore present in foods like bread, pasta and biscuits etc. Severe gluten intolerance is known as Coeliac Disease and products containing gluten need to be avoided.

Wheat should not be introduced into the diet until the child is 12 months old and then ideally should be alternated with other grains. Cereals used between 4-12 months should be gluten free.

For more information regarding child food allergies and intolerances please contact your local GP who will be able to advise you further.