Recommendations Have Changed When it Comes to Children's Food Allergies

Recommendations have changed over the years when it comes to food allergies and children.

Ashanti Woods, M.D., FAAP, specializing in general pediatrics at Mercy Family Care Physicians in Baltimore, explains when parents should start introducing certain foods to their babies.

Food allergies affect more than 4% of children from birth to age 5. As a parent, it's terrifying to give your kids known allergenic foods for the first time.

According to Dr. Woods, food introduction is now recommended at about 4-6 months of age, when you feel your child is developmentally ready to chew and swallow food. That includes a diverse exposure to foods, including some known allergens, like peanuts, eggs, cow's milk, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish.

"We do recommend exposing a child to certain foods and giving them maybe one to three days to see if, in fact, they do develop a rash or nausea or vomiting, wheezing," Dr. Woods said. "You can actually have some respiratory symptoms with an allergic reaction. So, exposing one food at a time is an excellent idea for parents when introducing those foods."

Dr. Woods explained that symptoms of a food allergy can range from a mild rash to nausea, vomiting, or anaphylaxis, which causes a rapid airway narrowing and a dangerous drop in blood pressure.

In cases of a mild rash, taking something like Zyrtec or Benadryl may help. But if it's anything worse, the child will need immediate medical attention.

For children who do have a food allergy, Dr. Woods said it's extremely important to make sure anyone who is caring for the child is aware of that allergy.

View Mercy pediatrician Dr. Ashanti Woods' interview regarding children and food allergies.