Four Day Rule will Help Identify a Baby Food Allergy.

Your Baby may show interest in food that is not placed in front of him at meal time. Unfortunately her little body’s immune system might not be ready for a new sensation. One of the reasons that Pediatricians (You should talk with your Pediatrician prior to introducing solid foods) advise you wait until the 4 to 6 month mark, is that is the time frame in which the digestive system begin to mature.

In fact, some health organizations advise that six months is the absolute minimum. Food allergies in babies can be triggered by early introduction.

Be sure to mention to your pediatrician any family history of food allergies or sensitivities. This information is important in determining what types of foods, and when, to introduce them to you baby.

Use the Four day rule when introducing new foods. One new food every four days will help identify a baby food allergy. This will allow you to see how baby is going to tolerate it.

Introduce the new food in the morning (during the week when the Doctor is in) in case your child has any signs or symptoms of a reaction.

A food allergy occurs when something we eat causes a allergic reaction in the body. Our bodies see this particular food as foreign. The body them begins the process of fighting of the offending allergen. These outward signs may show up right away or be delayed a few hours.

If you suspect that your baby has a food allergy, learning the signs and symptoms will help you when it comes to diagnosing and avoiding those foods.

For baby, the symptoms could be vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, colic, wheezing, sneezing, runny nose, and sleep disturbances additionally, baby may break out in hives, eczema, or swelling. In severe cases, such as anaphylactic shock, baby could have trouble breathing.

If you notice any of these symptoms contact your pediatrician immediately. They may be able tell you if the reaction is an allergy or not. Other conditions may cause one or several of these reactions as well. If the Physician suspects an allergy, they will advise you on what to do next.

Breathing problems should be dealt with in the emergency room of the nearest hospital. With anaphylaxis, time is of the essence. Do not delay! Have emergency numbers posted for all members of your family (and Sitters) to use.

Most food allergies (intolerances) are mild and will clear up shortly after removing the food from their diet. The baby may experience diarrhea or hives, but the reaction doesn’t get extremely serious. Discontinue the offending food and see what happens. If baby’s appearance returns to normal, there should be no further problems as long as you don’t re-introduce the food the food to them again.

Certain foods are more likely to cause food allergies in your baby. Feeding baby foods such as eggs, dairy products, fish, shellfish, wheat, nuts, or soy at an early age can bring on food allergies that would otherwise have been avoided.

The tendency to have food allergies can be transferred from mom to baby, but the actual allergy could come from any food for any reason, not necessarily genetic.

When it is discovered that a baby has developed a food allergy, mom needs to be careful, too. If mom eats something that baby is allergic too, drinking breast milk could cause the allergy to flair up in baby. This is the same type of thing as baby getting indigestion or refusing to feed if mom has had some spicy food to eat while eating at a restaurant or trying a new recipe.

Knowing the signs of food allergies can ensure you take action early to reduce the risk of serious harm to your childin an emergency. Remember, the risk of a food allergy in baby increases when one or both parents have food allergies themselves.

Check all foods that baby eats. If the allergy is peanuts, be vigilant of other foods that contain peanuts or peanut butter. Any of these things could bring on an allergic reaction in your baby.

Also, be sure to read labels of all the foods you are considering giving to an infant because many times you’ll find the ingredients your child is allergic to might not be something you would suspect in certain foods. Also, it is a good habit to get into so that your Baby’s nutritional requirements are being met

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