Food Allergies in Babies

Your baby can develop food allergies as early as he is born. Many parents like to make their newborn babies taste water, honey, gripe water, juice, etc., though it is strictly discouraged. Newborn babies should be kept on a milk-only diet (breast-milk or infant formula) for their initial 4-6 months.

Many breastfed newborn show sensitiveness towards certain food group due to their mother's diet. Make sure you keep an eye on what you are eating.

Your baby can develop an allergy due to many reasons, food is one of them. For allergies that are cause due to other unknown reasons, read our article on pinpointing allergies.

When your little angel starts on solids, this is a moment of joy for you, but with this joy comes a bundle of questions. Is my baby allergic to any food item? How can I know about it? What are the symptoms of food allergies in babies? What to do if my baby is allergic to a food item?

What can my baby be allergic to?

There might be a little less than 200 food items and ingredients that have allergenic substance in them. Your baby might be lucky enough to tolerate all of them, or you may find her getting allergic to one or more. However, the following foods are generally the cause behind major allergies in babies:

Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds, etc.)
Eggs
Milk
Wheat
Fish and shellfish
Prawns
Soy

How can I know if my baby is allergic to a certain food?

When you introduce a food, wait till 4-5 days before introducing another. If your baby does not develop any allergic reactions, this means that your baby can enjoy that food.

What are the possible allergic reactions:

The following allergic reactions may appear the moment your child swallows a certain food, or they may appear within a span of a couple of hours to a couple of days.

Skin rashes or hot flushes
Hives (Urticaria)
Swelling of face, lips or tongue
Difficulty in breathing
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Sudden and constant sneezing or coughing
Runny nose
Throat irritation
Feeling numb/ losing consciousness

If your baby show reaction to any food, take her to a doctor immediately, and make sure you inform her nanny or caretaker about the foods to avoid.

What is Food Intolerance?

Food intolerance is different from food allergy. If your baby has intolerance towards a certain food, it means she is having difficulty digesting it. Following are the symptoms of food intolerance: