Allergies in children
The most common allergy conditions in infancy and childhood are
food allergies, eczema, asthma
and hay fever.
Incidence
Up to 30-40% of children are affected by allergies at some time
in their life, and the incidence is on the increase.
Food allergies can develop at any age, although a smaller
percentage of adults suffer from this condition compared with
children. In children, 3-7% will be diagnosed with a food allergy
before the age of three. This often disappears before
adulthood.
How can you reduce the chance of a baby developing a food
allergy?
- Exclusive breast-feeding during the first 4-6 months of life
might greatly reduce the incidence of allergic manifestation.
- Supplementary foods should not be introduced before the fifth
month of life.
- If breast-feeding must be discontinued or supplemented, a
healthcare professional may recommend a hydrolysed protein formula,
rather than a normal cow's milk based formula if an infant is at
increased risk of developing allergy.
- Soya milk and goats milk DO NOT effectively reduce the risk of
allergies, and should be avoided in high-risk infants.
- Do not introduce cows milk before the child is 12 months
old.
It should be noted that even if all the recommendations are
followed, there is still a chance that a high-risk child will
develop allergies.
Restricting a mothers diet during pregnancy has not been
conclusively shown to be effective in reducing allergies.
Risk of developing an allergy
There are a number of factors that appear to increase the risk
of developing allergies. These include:
- A family history of allergies, i.e. the baby if both parents
have allergies the risk increases from 15% to between 50 and
80%
- Introduction of solid foods before 6 months of age
- Introduction of standard cows milk / soya formula before 4-6
months of age
- Early exposure to high levels of house dust mites.
Common food allergies in children are:
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts (brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts)
- Cows milk protein
- Eggs
- Fish and shellfish
- Soya
- Wheat
Peanut allergy
Peanut allergy is increasing and effects 1.3% of under four year
olds in Britain. It accounts for most cases of anaphylaxis.
Eczema
Eczema can be triggered or made worse by a number of
environmental factors. It is thought that in about 30% of children,
diet is one of the factors. This means that only a small number of
children with eczema will be helped by dietary changes.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live bacteria, which can have beneficial effects
on health.
Studies have shown that probiotic bacteria may help in the
treatment of eczema and food allergy by promoting the gut barrier
mechanism.
To make an appointment to
see a Paediatric Allergy Specialist please call our Appointments
Department on 020 7460 5700, alternatively view
our list
of Paediatric Allergy Specialists
Allergy information provided by
Dr Helen Cox MBChB MRCP MRCPCH MD(Ldn).