Allergies in infants

Allergies in infants are associated with extremely high permeability of the intestinal walls, which are just beginning to form. This creates conditions for the penetration of all sorts of allergens into the baby's body; as a rule, allergies in infants are provoked by food antigens.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ]

What causes allergies in babies?

First of all, the trigger of allergies in infants is food products, usually consumed by a nursing mother. Statistics of pediatric practice say that 85-90% of all diagnosed allergies in infants are food allergies.

If a mother who breastfeeds a baby is fond of eating chocolate, strawberries, red fish, caviar, oranges, the child will not avoid one or another form of allergy. Also, one should not be overly fond of eating fatty cottage cheese, drinking liters of cow's milk in the hope that it will activate lactation.

Secondly, allergies in infants often develop against the background of mixed feeding, as well as due to the rejection of formulas during artificial feeding. It is unacceptable to feed a child prone to allergies with non-adapted formulas or porridges on cow's milk. Allergy to cow's milk protein is a typical phenomenon, unfortunately, increasingly common in infants. Also, infants are highly susceptible to chicken egg whites, banana proteins, gluten (gluten of grain products), rice proteins and, less often, buckwheat protein.

Here is a list of foods that provoke allergies (in the diet of a nursing mother and partially in the diet of an infant):

High risk of allergies	Moderate risk of allergy	Low risk of allergy
Cow's milk, Chicken eggs, Red fish roe, Wheat and wheat products, Raw carrots, Tomatoes, Strawberries, Raspberries, Citrus fruits, Pomegranates, Pineapple, Melon, Chocolate, cocoa, Coffee, Honey, Nuts, Mushrooms	Beef, Buckwheat, Rice, Oatmeal, Legumes, Soy, Peaches, Apricots, Cranberries , Cherries , Blueberries, Blackcurrants, Rosehips, Bananas	Lean pork, rabbit meat, turkey meat, lamb, dairy products, cauliflower, white cabbage, broccoli, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, green apples, pears, white and red currants, cherries, greens, some varieties of plums (yellow)

Causes of Allergies in Babies

Allergies in infants often develop against the background of reduced production of specific enzymes due to the "maturation" of the digestive system. The infant's pancreas is not yet capable of producing the required amount of trypsin and protease, which break down proteins, amylase, which breaks down carbohydrates, lipase, which breaks down lipids (fats). In addition, the composition of the microflora of newborns is also not fully formed and most food substances with large molecules are not properly digested in the baby's stomach. Due to the high permeability of the intestinal walls, food molecules can penetrate the bloodstream, since the intestines are literally permeated with blood vessels. The baby's immune system reacts to unfamiliar substances by producing specific antibodies - IgE, which "remember" certain food macromolecules, that is, sensitization occurs. The next "meeting" of antibodies and antigens will be accompanied by a persistent allergic reaction. Such sensitization can develop from the first days of a baby's life, even if he is breastfed.

Allergies in infants can be triggered by the following factors:

• Hereditary predisposition to allergies. If one or both parents have allergies, the risk that the baby will suffer from allergies is very high.
• Bad habits of the mother – smoking during pregnancy and after childbirth.
• Factors that are unfavorable in an ecological sense are environmental problems.
• Intrauterine hypoxia (gestosis during pregnancy).
• Infectious diseases of the mother during pregnancy.
• Antibacterial therapy of the mother during pregnancy.
• Failure to comply with a hypoallergenic diet by a nursing mother.
• Vaccination.
• Late breastfeeding.
• Artificial feeding, mixed feeding.
• Drug therapy for newborns.

[ 9 ], [ 10 ], [ 11 ], [ 12 ], [ 13 ], [ 14 ]

Allergy Symptoms in Babies

Allergies in infants can manifest themselves in the form of skin, intestinal, and respiratory manifestations.

Symptoms of skin manifestations:

• Diffuse, widespread rash - spotty, point, itchy rashes. Vesicular rashes with crusts or oozing wounds are possible. Most often, the rash is localized on the child's face, buttocks, thighs, shins, less often on the stomach. It is customary to call this manifestation of allergy diathesis, although from a medical point of view this is not entirely correct.
• Dryness and cracks around the lips, red lips, often with crusts and oozing sores.
• Diaper rash and prickly heat, persistent and not amenable to conventional methods of neutralization. Allergic diaper rash is easy to differentiate from simple ones: if the mother follows all hygiene rules, the room has sufficient humidity and normal temperature, and the prickly heat and rash in the folds do not disappear, this is evidence of an allergy.
• Stubborn, non-disappearing gneiss is a dry crust on the scalp.
• Hives are a common, small rash that tends to merge into larger spots.
• A type of urticaria characterized by vesicular rashes on areas where there are folds, most often on the legs and arms, less often on the soles of the feet and palms. This type of urticaria is called strophulus.
• Quincke's edema is a threatening symptom, characterized by rapid development and spreading in the form of edema from the face to the neck and hands. It is dangerous because it can cause suffocation.
• Exudative erythema – merging blisters all over the body, they often burst, erosive wounds appear. Erythema can provoke acute intoxication of the body, similar to intoxication after a burn.

Allergies in infants, intestinal manifestations:

• Frequent regurgitation, vomiting.
• Atypical coating on the tongue, possible cracks in the tongue in the form of a “geographic map”.
• Increased flatulence, bloating.
• Change in stool consistency and frequency. Stool may be much larger in volume and have a foamy, mucous texture.
• Constipation or diarrhea. Painful bowel movements.
• Colic, to which the baby reacts with sudden crying, leg movements, and abdominal tension (straining).

Allergies in infants, respiratory manifestations:

• A dry, frequent cough that usually gets worse at night.
• Rhinitis is a persistent runny nose that has no cause in the form of a viral or other respiratory disease. Nasal discharge is clear and profuse.
• Multiple sneezing – the baby sneezes 5-10 times in a row.
• Wheezing.
• Dyspnea.
• An asthma attack is possible.

Other possible manifestations of allergies in a newborn:

• Unusually frequent urination.
• Swelling of the eyes or, on the contrary, sunken eyes, shadows under the eyes.
• Lacrimation, redness of the sclera and itching in the eyes.

Treatment of allergies in infants

The main method of treating any type of allergy is to eliminate the provoking factor. Since allergies in infants are most often caused by food components, a strict hypoallergenic diet should be introduced, first of all, for the nursing mother. All products that can provoke an allergic reaction in the child are excluded from the mother's menu, and it is also unacceptable to consume products containing preservatives, dyes, stabilizers and emulsifiers.

If the child is on artificial or mixed feeding and an unadapted formula causes allergies, a hypoallergenic product should be carefully selected, preferably with the help of the attending pediatrician. General recommendations for feeding a baby on artificial feeding concern the experimental correct selection of formulas and constant monitoring of the condition of the skin, the function of the baby's digestive tract.

For an allergic baby, the following products can be recommended:

• Formulas made from cow's milk protein hydrolysates. These may be therapeutic formulas or prophylactic formulas. All these products can be given to a baby from the first day of birth.
• From the age of six months, the baby can be given mixtures made from soy protein isolate.
• From the first month of life, hypoallergenic dairy-free cereals are suitable for the baby.
• From the age of six months, the menu can include combined vegetable purees, as well as berry and fruit purees and juices, preferably industrially prepared from trusted manufacturers with the appropriate hygiene certificates.
• From the age of eight months, a child can be given meat purees made from poultry, rabbit or lamb.

Allergy in infants does not exclude breastfeeding, even if the primary reaction was to breast milk. It is necessary to maintain breastfeeding as long as possible, since it provides not only the basic nutrients for the baby's body, but also very important components for the formation of an active immune system - secretory immunoglobulin IgA, some types of enzymes, hormones.

If allergies in infants manifest themselves with threatening symptoms, such as Quincke's edema, suffocation, bronchospasm, you should immediately call an ambulance. You should also consult with the ambulance operator about what you can do while waiting for the doctor, what antihistamines can be given to the child, taking into account his condition and age.