Breast milk?
Yes. A child with milk allergy can in most cases tolerate breast milk. Only in very rare cases, children with milk allergies react to the cow milk protein in breast milk. In this situation it may be necessary for the mother by agreement with the doctor also go on a milk free diet.

Infant formulas?
No and yes. Children with milk allergies can not tolerate general infant formulas because they contain milk protein. In contrast, the good withstand high-hydrolyzed infant formulas as Nutramigen ® and Profylac ®. pate products are treated in such a way that almost all children with milk allergy can tolerate them. The high-hydrolyzed infant formulas are bought at the pharmacy.
The very few children who can not tolerate these products must have an amino acid-based formula such as Neocate ®.

Children under 1-2 years should not receive infant formula made from soy, because there is a risk that children will develop allergies to soy.

Non homogenized milk?
No. Your child will also respond allergic to proteins in non homogenized milk because proteins do not change by homogenization. Homogenization breaks the fat in milk into smaller pieces, so it does not lump together in the milk.

Unpasteurized milk? (raw milk / dairy farm gate)
No. Your child will also respond allergic to proteins in unpasteurized milk. In pasteurization milk is warmed up in a short time. It kills any harmful bacteria in the milk and affects only a small fraction of the proteins.

Organic milk?
No. The proteins are similar in organic milk and plain milk. Your child will also respond allergic to proteins in organic milk.

Milk from other animals?
No. The proteins in cow, sheep and goat milk, etc. are similar. When your child is allergic to cow’s milk, it will also respond allergic to proteins in the milk of example, goat, sheep and horses.

Soy Drink?
No and yes. Soy Drink does not contain as many nutrients as infant formula. Soya Drink can not replace infant formula for children under 2 years. Soy Drink may be included in cooking from the age of 1.

Always read the declaration, so you are sure that there is soybean milk in the drink.

Rice milk, oats and coconut milk drink?
Rice milk and oat drink and coconut milk does not contain many nutrients, compared with the infant formula and can not be used in stead of infant formula. Coconut milk contains much of it unhealthy saturated fat. Therefore, these products are not to be used as a substitute for the milk, the child should have to drink, or as a substitute for milk in the child’s porridge or moss. They can be used to a lesser extent in cooking, for example, in conjunction cooked dishes or sauce.

Always read the declaration, so you are sure that there is no milk in rice and oats drink or in coconut milk.

Porridge Powder?
No and yes. Many gruel and porridge powders contain milk and milk proteins. But there are also some without milk and milk proteins, which can add high-hydrolyzed formula or breast milk. Read the declaration.

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Chocolate allergies may cause asthma symptoms in susceptible people especially when a person is allergic to more than one ingredient in the chocolate. Some of the common ingredients include cocoa, milk, caffeine, gluten, soy lecithin, phenyl-ethylamine, nuts, theo-bromine, and dyes.

Chocolate allergy symptoms may include

• anxiety,
• confusion,
• headaches,
• hives,
• irritability,
• nausea,
• eczema,
• itching,
• watery eyes,
• runny nose,
• sneezing,
• wheezing,
• coughing,
• heartburn,
• difficulty breathing due to inflammation of the airway, and
• anaphylaxis or shock.

A diagnosis can be done through a skin test or a blood test that reveals antibodies in the blood stream. Treatments that can help with the symptoms include antihistamines, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and epinephrine. The treatment largely depends upon the severity of the symptoms or reaction to the allergen. Of course, avoidance will help to prevent the reaction and discomfort.

Antihistamines can help to relieve the itching, digestive distress, watery eyes, sneezing, and the irritability. They can be obtained through a prescription or can be purchased over-the-counter at a drug store. The prescription antihistamines are less likely to cause drowsiness. People who experience asthma symptoms with chocolate allergies will probably need to use bronchodilators and corticosteroids to help with shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and inflammation. Epinephrine can be kept at home in an auto-injector so that it can be administered as soon as a person has a reaction. This can be used for any type of allergy and should be used as soon as possible to prevent anaphylaxis or shock.

Allergies seem to run in families and children who have both parents with symptoms seem to be at increased risk of developing them. Some sources believe that one of the main underlying reasons that lead to the development of symptoms have to do with a depressed or weak immune system. Other possible links may include chemicals and preservatives found in most processed foods. The most common foods that cause problems in susceptible individuals are wheat, dairy, shellfish, eggs, and peanuts. Chocolate allergy symptoms are similar to the reaction caused by other food sensitivities. Some of the worse reactions have been linked to peanuts and shellfish. Other possible food allergens may be found in products that contain proteins and yeast or molds. Some of these are soybeans, pickles, avocado, tomato, coffee, beans, cheese, wine, and beer.

People who have food sensitivities should make it a practice to read all product labels. Another good idea is to keep a food diary and record any time there is a reaction. This can help to narrow down the foods that a person is allergic or sensitive to so that he or she can avoid them in the future. For someone who is extremely sensitive doctors often recommend eliminated any foods that are possible culprits and then adding them back into the diet very slowly to find out which ones are offending foods. Someone with chocolate allergies will want to watch out for anything that has any of the ingredients found in chocolate such as cocoa and milk. “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst”(John 6:35).

To diagnose a suspected allergen there are a few different things that can help to do this. Skin tests can be done with the suspected substance to see if there is a reaction to the skin. A reaction that indicates positive would be the showing of redness, inflammation, and irritation. A doctor may choose to use blood tests to measure the amount of the antibodies in the blood stream to the suspected substance. Someone with chocolate allergy symptoms who is also suffering with asthma may need a pulmonary function test. This test measures the amount of airflow through a device called a spirometer. After airflow is measured then the patient is given a bronchodilator and airflow is measured again. With the bronchodilator the patient should have improved airflow; if this happens then the test will show positive for asthma. Doctors also use a skin patch test; the patch is soaked with the allergen and then taped to the person’s skin for up to two days. If a rash develops then the test will be positive.

Food allergies in individuals involve a response by a person’s immune system that is usually caused by a protein. When the body perceives a foreign invader then it produces antibodies to defend against that invader. These antibodies attach to the cells and contain chemicals called histamines and leukotrienes. So if the body sees cocoa or some other additive in chocolate as an invader then the chemicals are released and the person starts experiencing chocolate allergy symptoms. This reaction should not be taken lightly because it can lead to shock. Some of the beginning signs that this could be happening are itching in the roof of the mouth, swelling of the eyes, hives, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, and swelling of the throat.

There are additives in chocolate that may be the reason for the sensitivity. Much of what is purchased in stores contains milk, nuts, wheat or gluten, soy, and corn. These may be listed on the ingredient list as casein, whey, gluten, soy lecithin, and corn syrup. So individuals who think they have chocolate allergies may really have sensitivities to one or more of the ingredients. A person who has sensitivities to ingredients may not have any symptoms unless a large amount is consumed. For a proper diagnosis and the latest treatment a person should see a physician for an examination and inform the doctor about any symptoms that he or she is experiencing.

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Question

When I was little I had a milk allergy of which I grew out of. Therefore, my son also has the risk of getting it.
My son is 7 ½ months. Should I avoid giving him yogurt and cheese?

Answer

When you talk about milk allergy or hypersensitivity to milk you distinguish between allergies and intolerances. When it comes to allergies, the body produces antibodies against milk, and therefore allergies can be determined by a skin prick test or through a blood test. By intolerance no antibodies are formed and as such a positive determination can be difficult.

It is typical children under one year of age, who develops hypersensitivity to milk. The symptoms will be vomiting, diarrhea, eczema, asthma, swollen mucous membranes, in for example the eyes. It is always very important to have your child diagnosed by your doctor. If he suspect your child suffer from milk allergy, he will often put your child on a diet and the doctor will then make a provocation with milk. Since this is not entirely without risk, we should as parents not try to do this ourselves, and often it will take place at the hospital.

It is very important that if you as a parent, have any suspicion of milk allergy, that you contact your doctor and talk to your doctor about this. If you begin to put your child on a diet, without there actually is reason for this, it will, first of all be sorry for the child and secondly, there will be a risk that the child will be malnutritioned.

If the child has been diagnosed with hypersensitivity to milk, you should not give you child yogurt or products based on cow’s milk. A child with milk allergy should have hydrolysed infant formula, up to 3 years of age, to cover its needs for energy and calcium.

Whether or not you should feed your child products made with cow’s milk depends on whether you know that he has allergy to milk or not. If you, by your doctor has been prescribed hydrolysed infant formula for you child, in addition to breast feeding, then the doctor had a reasonable suspicion that you need to follow up on. If your son so far has been given ordinary formula and also gets cow’s milk in its porridge, etc., it should be no problem to give him yogurt and cheese.

Continued good luck with him,

Maya

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If women during pregnancy eat vegetables and fish, they may reduce the risk for their children to develop asthma and food allergies.

Avoid red meat and eat plenty of vegetables and fish, if you will try to avoid that your child develops asthma or allergy.

This is the recommendation for pregnant women in a new study by researchers at the University of Crete.

In the study, the researchers compared the diet for 468 mothers and their children from pregnancy to the children were six and a half years old.

The conclusion is that children of mothers who have eaten mainly vegetables, fruit, nuts and fish in fewer cases developed allergies or asthma.

This is particularly the case if the mothers during pregnancy ate fish more than three times a week or vegetables more than eight times a week.

The study also concluded, that if the pregnant mother ate red meat more than 3-4 times a week, the risk of developing asthma or allergy increased .

The researchers also found up to that diet plays no significant role in the development of asthma or allergy, after the children have turned six years old.

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Allergies are often the cause of hypersensitivity as eczema, asthma and hay fever in children.

There are several reasons for the development of allergies.
Today, some of the causes to allergies are already know, while others hopefully will be resolved by continuing research.

But the children are here right now, and it requires that we act with the knowledge we have today.

On these pages, you can read about what you can do, what is effective and what is no good.

As becoming parents or newly parents, it is important for you to know if your future child / the newborn, is of particular risk of developing allergies. If the child is in particular the risk of developing allergies, this risk is reinforced, if the child simultaneously is exposed to many allergens. The prevention of allergy is therefore, to limit the exposure of allergens.

It is therefore important to speak with your doctor to find out whether your child has particular risk of developing allergies.

What is achieved by allergy prevention?
Research shows that prevention is of great importance.

Food allergy, child eczema, Asthmatic bronchitis and asthma usually starts at pre school age.
If you prevent allergies with your child, you reduce your child’s risk of developing food allergies, child eczema, Asthmatic bronchitis and asthma up to school age.

Read more about how to prevent allergies in your child.

How to prevent allergies?

If your child is in particular risk of developing allergies, you can by following the instructions below, reduce the risk for your child to develop allergies.

Several studies show that in children with a particular risk of developing allergies you may reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of developing food allergies (especially milk allergy) and child eczema in the first year of life if the child only is fed with breast milk or high hydrolysate infant formula in the first 4 months. There are no studies demonstrating a preventive effect on the development of allergy, by breast-feeding after 4 months of age. Studies also show that only a single grant of general infant formula may increase the risk of developing allergies within the first year of life.

You can not prevent allergies to dust mites or animals by breastfeeding. Instead you should look at bed and linnen and indoor climate.

Prevention of allergies in children at particular risk

• Avoid the child being exposed to tobacco smoke.
• There is no evidence of the effect of a dieting pregnant or nursing mother.
• In order to prevent / delay the food allergies, child eczema and asthma the child should be breast fed the first 4 months. If this is not possible or sufficient, the child must have high hydrolysate infant formula in the first 4 months. After 4 months an ordinary infant formula can be used.
• Regular food can be introduced at the earlist, when the child is 4 months if the child’s development and readiness speaks for doing so. Many children thrive on breast milk / formula up to 6 months of age. When introducing regular food, there is no evidence of impact of omitting certain foods (such as milk, eggs, fish, citrus fruits, etc.)
• In order to prevent coeliac disease gluten containing food should be avoided up to 6 months of age. Use instead maize, rice and millet.
• In order to prevent dust mites allergy the child should have a new mattress and clean, washable duvet and pillows.
• In order to prevent fur allergy, fur animals should be avoided in the child’s daily environment in the first year of life.
• Make sure to have a good indoor climate.

Prevention of allergies in children without particular risk

• Avoid the child being exposed to tobacco smoke.
• The child should be breat fed the first 6 months and prefereably longer. If the mother can not breast feed, ordinary infant formula should be used.
• Regular food can be introduced at the earlist when the child is 4 months if the child’s development and readiness speaks for doing so. Many children thrive on breast milk / formula up to 6 months of age.
• In order to prevent coeliac disease foods containing gluten shoul be avoided up to 6 months of age. Use instead maize, rice and millet.
• Make sure to have a good indoor climate.

If you want to reduce the amount of the indoor allergenes which the child can be exposed, fur animals can be avoided in the child’s daily environment in the first year of life, and the child can get a new mattress and a clean, washable duvet and pillows. However, there is no evidence that it prevents allergies in children, who has no particular risk of developing allergies.

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Allergies to nuts

Nuts are healthy, but they can also cause allergy reactions.
Does your mouth and throat tickle when you eat nuts?
Do you experience hay fever symptoms or hives of eating the smallest piece of almond?

If so it may be signs of allergies to nuts or an allergic cross-reaction to birch pollen.

Both children and adults can react allergic to nuts. We have no accurate records of how many that suffers from tree nut allergy. Most will be young people and adults with birch pollen allergy, experiencing a so-called “cross-reaction”, because their bodies can not distinguish between the allergenic substances in pollen and nuts.

Allergy-reactions to nuts occurs in the majority, just after they have eaten nuts – some will first experience symptoms after a few hours or longer. It is especially hazelnuts, which may give allergic, but also almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts.

- If you experience symptoms of allergy to nuts – whether it is a cross-reaction or a nut allergy – you must immediately stop eating the nuts, rinse the mouth and possibly take antihistamines if symptoms are mild. If you experience violent reactions, a should doctor assess the situation, but it should be stressed that the vast majority are experiencing mild symptoms.

Yet the advice is that if you already once have responded towards nuts, you should avoid precisely that kind of nuts entirely.

Allergy tests

If you experience allergic reactions to nuts – and you do not know whether you already have pollen allergy – it’s a good idea to have see your doctor for an allergy test for pollen allergy. This is done through a skin prick test or a blood test.

If the test is positive, further studies are rarely necessary. In that case you are allergic to pollen, and it is quite normal that you also react to nuts.

Is the test is negative, a skin test or blood test specifically for nuts reveals exactly which nuts, you can not tolerate.

- If you respond to one kind of nuts is does not necessarily mean that you also respond to other nuts. When allergic to hazel nuts, however, it is quite common also to respond to other tree nuts – such as walnut.

Raw vs. treated nuts

In everyday life, it may seem like a be an obstacle run to avoid nuts all together, because they can be found in many products – such as breakfast cereals, bread, cakes, confectionery and sweets.

– Some foods may contain very small amounts of nuts, without any information about it on the label. For example the product may have been in contact with nuts during production. Here, the producer may choose to write ‘May contain traces of …’ on the product, but it may still be enough for people with allergies to birch pollen and nuts to experience symptoms.

Nut lovers, that reacts allergic to nuts, do however not have to quit eating nuts all together.

– A lot of people who have allergy symptoms to nuts, reacts only on the raw and unprocessed nuts, but can withstand the nuts, as long as they are baked, fried or boiled.

Nuts, that often gives allergic reactions:

• Hazelnut
• Cashew nut
• Almond
• Brazil nut
• Walnut

Nuts, seeds and grains, which rarely gives allergic reactions:

• Poppy seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chestnuts
• Coconuts
• Pecan nuts
• Pine nuts
• Pistachio nuts
• Sesame seeds
• Sun flower seeds

Be careful

• Breakfast cereals – especially muesli often contain nuts.
• Bread – the nuts may be added (such as walnuts).
• Cold cuts – for example contains the Italian sausage Mortadella pistachios.
• Dinner meals – particularly African, Chinese, Indonesian, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese dishes often contain nuts.
• Cookies, sweets, ice, etc. – Remember: Marzipan is made of almonds, nougat is made of hazelnuts, macaroons may contain marzipan / almonds. Many salads are sprinkled with nuts, cheese and ice are often decorated with nuts.

Peanuts – not a nut!

Despite the name, peanuts are not a nut but a legume. Peanuts has actually no allergens in common with nuts.

If you are allergic to peanuts, you do not necessarily have to avoid other nuts, unless you have a clean nut allergy together with your peanut allergy.

If you do have a clean peanut allergy, you may also react to other legumes – such as green peas, soy, beans and lentils.

Severe symptoms

Peanuts appear in breakfast cereals, peanut butter, some exotic dinners, sauces, dressings and cakes, desserts, sweets, snacks and ice. In the declaration on the food, the peanuts typically hides under names such as groundnut oil, peanut butter and peanut oil.

Symptoms of peanut allergy are – like nut allergy – itching in the mouth and throat, hay fever symptoms and hives. In addition, peanut allergy more often gives violent symptoms such as severe asthma attacks and allergic shock.
– With peanut allergy, often only very small quantities are needed to trigger symptoms. That is why it is important to talk with their doctor about what to do if you by a mistake eat peanuts. You might for instance need to always have fast working medicine with you – such as an EpiPen.

Nuts are also healthy

With a small handful (3/4 – 1 oz) of nuts daily, you can prevent heart disease. In fact you reduce your risk of 20-40 per cent compared to those who do not eat nuts.

Although nuts contain lots of ‘healthy fat’, it is still fat. Therefore you should not just add 1 oz. of nuts on top of you daily diet – unless you want to gain weight. Instead you could replace other forms of fat – such as the saturated and hard fat from the butter or margarine – with peanut butter. As a snack, nuts are also good, but choose those without salt or sugar.

If you are allergic to nuts, you do not have to do without the nuts healthy benefits.

Mainly because you probably do not respond to all nuts. Secondary because many only react to raw nuts – not nuts, which are baked, fried or boiled.

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