How to Identify an Allergic Reaction in Your Baby

An allergy is an immune reaction to something in a baby's environment or something a baby has eaten. The problem is that you probably won't know whether your baby is allergic to something until he or she comes into contact with it. And sometimes, an allergy can masquerade as an illness. Therefore, it's important for parents to know how to identify an allergic reaction in a baby.

Nasal Allergies

Nasal allergies can come from a variety of allergens: dust mites, pollen, mold, animal dander, etc. Symptoms are similar to those of a cold, so parents often don't notice the allergy right away. BabyCenter.com lists several signs that indicate an allergy rather than a cold: cold symptoms that don't go away after a week to ten days, clear and thin mucus rather than yellow or green, excessive sneezing, red/itchy/watery eyes or a dry cough.

Food Allergies

According to Dr. William Sears, "over 90 percent of food allergies, especially in young children, are caused by seven foods." They are: dairy products, soy, shellfish, wheat, tree nuts, peanuts and egg whites. However, other foods may provoke an allergic reaction as well.

Food allergy symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic, can range from mild to severe. In a baby, look for hives, skin rash or eczema. Swelling may occur on the lips, face, tongue, throat or other parts of the body. Your baby might have abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting. And finally, an allergic reaction may include nasal congestion, wheezing or trouble breathing.

The most severe reaction is anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is life-threatening and requires immediate emergency treatment. Signs of anaphylaxis include difficulty breathing, signs of shock, rapid pulse and loss of consciousness.

If your baby initially has a mild allergic reaction, he or she may still develop anaphylaxis later, so do monitor the baby carefully. The Mayo Clinic says that food allergy symptoms can develop anywhere from a few minutes to one hour after consuming the allergen.

Skin Allergies

According to American Baby, the most common skin reaction is eczema, or atopic dermatitis. Baby eczema will appear as a red, scaly, possibly oozing rash on the cheeks, torso, arms and legs. It's not caused by skin contact with a substance or clothing, but may be caused by a food or nasal allergy.

The other common type of skin reaction is contact dermatitis. This is a reaction to something that has touched the baby's body: fabric, laundry detergent, lotion, soap, a plant such as poison ivy, etc. This type of rash will occur only where the allergen came into contact with the skin.

Sources:

"Baby Allergies & Asthma", BabyCenter.com

Dr. William Sears, "Tracking Down Food Allergies", AskDrSears.com

Mayo Clinic staff, "Food Allergy: Symptoms", MayoClinic.com

Editors of AmericanBaby.com, "All About Baby Allergies: Colds vs. Allergies", Parents.com