Identifying and Treating Your Child's Food Allergies

Many foods can cause allergic reactions in children. The most common are cow's milk and other dairy products, egg� whites, and poultry.� Seafood, wheat, nuts, soy protein and chocolate can also cause reactions.� Allergic symptoms may include a runny, itchy nose, sneezing and coughing.� Children may also have stomach pain, cramping or diarrhea, skin rashes and even facial swelling.� Some allergic reactions can be so severe that they can lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis - a combination of symptoms that include difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness.� These reactions� occur right after your child eats a certain food - or hours or even days later.� Some parents also claim that food allergies can cause changes in their child's behavior and mood.

Diagnosing food allergies is difficult.� Other medical problems can cause the same symptoms, and pinpointing the offending food can be tough.� Your pediatrician may refer your child to an allergist, or may suggest an "elimination diet."� That's when you remove from your child's diet the foods you suspect are causing the problem, and closely monitor her to see if her symptoms go away.�

Once you confirm which food is the culprit, you can help your child avoid that food, especially as an ingredient in other foods. �Experts say many people outgrow food allergies, although allergic reactions to peanuts, nuts, fish, and shellfish often remain throughout adulthood.��

A food allergy is not the same as a food intolerance.� Food intolerance is an adverse reaction to food that does not involve the immune system. �For example, people with lactose intolerance may experience symptoms such as gas, bloating, and abdominal pain when they eat dairy products.