Any food may cause an allergic reaction, but 90% of food allergies in children are caused by just 6 common foods or food groups—milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and wheat. In adults, a similar percentage of serious allergies are caused by just 4 foods—peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Allergies to fruits and vegetables are much less common and usually less severe.
Cow’s Milk
Allergy to cow’s milk is among the most common hypersensitivity in young children, probably because it is the first foreign protein that many infants ingest in such a large quantity, especially if they are bottle-fed.
If there is a cow’s-milk allergy, occasionally even a breastfed infant may have colic or eczema until milk and dairy foods are eliminated from the mother’s diet. Between 2 and 3 out of every 100 children younger than 3 years have allergy symptoms linked to cow’s milk.
Vomiting after feeding is the most common way a child shows a milk allergy, but more severe reactions can occur. Colic, crying, and gassiness can sometimes be the only manifestation of cow’s-milk allergy in very young infants.
(It must be said, though, that in the great majority of infants, no cause for colic is ever found, and the inconsolable crying eventually stops without treatment, never to return, before the baby is 6 months old). Other early and more subtle symptoms of milk allergy often involve the itchy, dry rash of eczema (atopic dermatitis).
Eggs
Children who are allergic to eggs are reacting primarily to the protein in the egg white. However, because egg yolk can often be contaminated with egg white, it’s safer for egg-allergic children to avoid egg altogether. Luckily, while eggs are nutritionally valuable and an excellent source of protein, they are not essential for good nutrition.
Meat, fish, dairy products, grains, and legumes are excellent alternative sources of similar protein, minerals, and vitamins. If your child is allergic to eggs, watch out for hidden egg ingredients such as an egg-based glaze on top of certain breads or egg used to hold breading on fried food.
Peanuts and Tree Nuts
When is a nut not a nut? When it’s a legume—like peanuts, which are cousins to peas and beans. Because peanuts and tree nuts come from different plant families, a child who is sensitive to peanuts can often eat walnuts, pecans, and other tree nuts without a problem.
Like eggs, peanuts are delicious and nutritious but not essential for a healthy diet. No nutritional substitutes are needed. Most people with a peanut allergy tolerate other legumes such as soy and beans, even when sometimes skin or blood tests will come up positive for these other legumes.
Soy
Babies fed soy formula, like that of cow’s milk, can develop a rash, runny nose, wheezing, diarrhea, or vomiting from allergy to the soy protein. When changing to a soy formula, some infants who are allergic to cow’s milk are found to also be allergic to soy.
Children with soy allergy generally tolerate soy oil because it contains minimal protein. Soy lecithin is a fatty derivative of soy that is extremely low in soy protein and usually tolerated by those with a soy allergy.
Wheat
Rice and oats are usually the first cereals introduced into the diet because they are less likely than other grains to cause allergy problems. If there are no problems with oats, wheat is given next. Wheat is the grain most often associated with allergies, but even so, it is still an uncommon food allergy. This is fortunate because wheat is found in so many prepared foods.
Credit: healthychildren.org
