Infant Allergies
Human breast milk is normally not known to cause allergic reactions in breast feeding infants, but mothers sometimes may be concerned that their babies may be allergic to something that they themselves are eat-ing and passing into their breast milk, but they are not allergic to those foods. In fact, only two or three out of every one hundred babies who are exclusively breastfed demonstrate an allergic reaction. The prime allergen usually is the cow`s milk in their mother`s diet. An infant suffering from allergic reaction may show signs of severe colic, abdominal discomfort, a skin rash such as eczema or hives, or may react with vomiting, severe diarrhea, often accompanied with blood in the stool, or difficulty in breathing that lasts up to several hours after breastfeeding. In case you notice any of these symptoms, contact your pediatrician right away. Breastfeeding babies rarely show signs of milk allergies but once developed can turn out to be severe or fa-tal. In due course most babies outgrow allergy to cow`s milk, al-though food allergies to other substances may be lifelong.
It has been observed that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life considerably reduces the risk and severity of food allergies in families with a strong history of them. If you belong to a family which has experienced severe food allergies, you should consider limit-ing your intake of allergy causing foods such as milk and dairy products, fish, eggs, peanuts, and other nuts during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Be vigilant about your baby, check out for skin rashes, breathing problems, un-usual stools, or other allergic symptoms, and be sure to inform your pediatrician about your family`s medical history.
Food Sensitivies
Only a few mothers are vigilant enough to notice minor reactions to other foods in their diet. Your infant may cry, fuss, or even nurse more often after you have eaten spicy or "gassy" food like cabbage. You can differentiate these reactions from allergies by gauging the intensity of the symptoms. These symptoms are less serious, not accompanied by rashes or abnormal breathing, as in the case of allergies, and almost always last less than twenty-four hours. If your baby is not comfortable every time you eat a certain type of food and you are concerned about it, you can just avoid that particular food temporarily. In case these symptoms carry on on a daily basis and last for long periods, they may point towards colic rather than food sensitivity. If you find that eliminating various foods from your diet has no effect on your child`s symptoms, inform your pediatrician, he may consider the possibility of food sensitivity.
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