Food allergy in children should not be ignored
a) What is food allergy
Children's food allergy refers to the allergic reaction of children's immune system to food, which may be caused by some ingredients in the food or food additives contained in the food, after entering the body, IgE mediated and non IgE mediated immune reactions in the immune system, leading to digestive system or systemic allergic reactions. Children may experience itching, redness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and other conditions after eating certain food. In serious cases, they may also experience swelling of the respiratory tract mucosa, panic, shortness of breath, shock and even death.
(1) Two conditions of food allergy
(2) Mechanism of food allergy
The mechanism of food induced allergic reaction mainly belongs to the overreaction of the immune system.
(3) Symptoms of food allergy
Children's food allergy is mainly characterized by skin rashes and gastrointestinal symptoms. Children may show systemic skin changes, or changes in the parts contacting the skin. For example, children may have urticaria all over the body, small red rashes around the lips, and older children may not stop scratching because of itching. When children's skin changes, it may also be accompanied by gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, red and swollen tongue, sore throat and other symptoms.
Once this happens to the child, parents should be alert. The child may be allergic to food. It is necessary to check whether the food the child ate that day or the first day is likely to cause allergy.
b) What foods can cause food allergy
Common foods that cause allergic reactions include eggs, beans, milk, nuts, seafood, etc., of which the most people are allergic to eggs and dairy products.
Half of the people who are susceptible to allergies will have mild or severe allergic reactions to eggs or dairy products.
The severity of anaphylactic symptoms caused by eggs or dairy products is closely related to the age of the allergic population. Eggs and milk are common allergens for children, while adults are more likely to have allergic reactions to seafood.
c) The incidence of food allergy in children is on the rise
Some people may think that food allergy is rare and unlikely to happen to their families. In fact, food allergy is everywhere. In recent years, the incidence of allergic diseases is on the rise, especially children's food allergy is more and more common. Doctors and nutritionists have found that the incidence of food allergy in children is 2%~8%, which is a super high rate. What causes more and more children with food allergy?
The increase of media reports on food allergies has aroused people's attention and improved parents' awareness of self diagnosis of their children.
Due to the development of the food industry, new synthetic foods and food additives are constantly emerging, along with new food allergens.
Whatever the factors, there is no doubt that the incidence of food allergy in children is high.
——This article is excerpted from the book "Baby is not allergic and has less troubles" authorized by China Light Industry Press
