Millions of people all over the world suffer from allergies of different types. While such allergies could be caused due to multiple reasons, food is perhaps the most potent reason for people suffering from allergies. The physical system does not accept some particular type of food and these results in the person consuming such food developing allergic tendencies. For instance, some children develop allergy to peanuts. And at times there could be possibilities of developing allergic tendencies that are hereditary.
If one of your children is suffering from such allergic conditions and you are expecting a second child, you might well be concerned about preventing such tendencies in the yet to born. Good news for you is that there are ways to prevent such allergic tendencies that are turning out to be hereditary. Even if you may not completely cure it there are chances for you to prevent such tendencies in future. The first step in the right direction would be to find out whether you child is having some high risks. But how would you assess whether your child is running high risks? Some of the major risk factors that could develop food allergies are:
o Allergic disorders like eczema, high fever, or asthma that are results of such allergic tendencies.
o Such type of disorders prevalent among the family members.
o Having other type of allergies relating to food or formula.
Once you find out that your child is suffering with risks developing food allergies, the next step for you is to take preventive measures. The question for you again here would be what the preventive measures could be and how to implement them. American Academy of Pediatrics has come up with some pertinent suggestions in this regard that are as follows:
o Since breast feeding is the best feeding all mothers should make it a practice breast feeding the new born.
o No food supplements or solid foods other than breast feed should be used for the first six months after the birth of the child.
o With other foods, breast feeding should continue till the child is 12 months old.
o Food that creates allergic reactions in other children or members in the family should be avoided by the mother. At the same time during the nursing stage, eggs, cow milk, and fish should be avoided.
o Hypoalergenic formula like the Nutramigen or Alimentum may be used for supplementing the breast feeding.
o When the child is at least six months old, use of iron fortified rice cereals could be useful.
o The child should not be given milk or dairy products at least up to the age of 12 months.
o Eggs should not be given to child till such child is two years older.
o Avoid all allergy creating foods till the child is three years older.
One should not forget that there are multiple types of food that contains hidden components hiding the foods you might be avoiding. Muffin contains peanut flour and on the other hand margarine contains milk. Such food should also be in your "to be avoided" list.
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