baby food allergy edema

First, stop feeding all suspected allergenic foods immediately. Second, for mild symptoms (only local edema, no breathing/swallowing abnormalities), second-generation antihistamines suitable for children can be taken according to the dose. Third, if there are signs of hoarseness, difficulty breathing, or laryngeal edema, don’t delay and go to the emergency room immediately.

Last week, I just received an 11-month-old baby boy from the outpatient clinic. My grandma fed him half a piece of peach with hair on it. Within half an hour, his upper lip swelled to a high point, and even the area around his eyes swollen. The baby didn't make any fuss, but kept rubbing his eyes. My parents rushed over with sweat on their faces. I was prescribed cetirizine in a children's dosage form. After half an hour of observation, most of the swelling was gone, which was a false alarm. In fact, this kind of edema is simply because the immune system "recognizes the wrong person". Originally, the protein in the food is not harmful, but the immune system of the child with allergies regards it as an invading bad guy. It releases inflammatory mediators such as histamine, which enlarges the gap between the blood vessel walls. The water in the blood vessels leaks into the surrounding soft tissue, causing swelling, right?

Now, there are actually two different voices in the industry regarding whether to completely avoid food after allergies. The clinical view of the older generation is that as long as it is clear that you are allergic to a certain food, you should strictly fast for 3-6 months before doing a provocation test to avoid repeatedly triggering allergic reactions and aggravating symptoms. However, in recent years, there have been more and more studies on immune tolerance. Many scholars believe that as long as it is not a severe allergic reaction, but just simple edema or mild rash, after 1-2 weeks of the acute phase, you can slowly try to add it from a very small amount under the guidance of a doctor to gradually stimulate the immune system to adapt. On the contrary, it is less likely to develop into a long-term allergy than a complete long-term taboo. Of course, this is definitely not for parents to try blindly at home. They must be evaluated by a professional allergist before proceeding, otherwise problems may arise.

I met many parents who were so anxious when they saw their baby was swollen that they resorted to various measures. Some used steroid ointment to apply on the lips, some applied ice packs until the baby's face turned red, and some gave adult anti-allergic drugs. It is really unnecessary. Simple allergic edema, as long as there are no systemic symptoms and you take the right children's antihistamines, it can usually disappear in 2-4 hours. The ointment is absorbed through the skin and is basically useless for this kind of deep edema. If the temperature of the ice pack is not controlled well, it will easily cause frostbite to the baby's paper-thin skin. Oh, by the way, there are also those that say to use rice water or breast milk for application, which is not necessary. Instead, it can easily irritate the skin and cause additional allergies.

However, not all edema can be treated at home. If your baby is swollen and also complains of a sore throat, hoarse voice, whistling sound when breathing, or is depressed, complains of stomachache, or vomiting, then he must not treat it at home. This is a sign that the allergic reaction is getting serious. If it causes laryngeal edema and blocks the airway, it will be fatal, and you must go to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment immediately. There was a 3-year-old child who was allergic to peanuts. At first it was just a swollen mouth, but the parents didn't take it seriously. Half an hour later, the child said he couldn't breathe. When he got to the hospital, his lips were blue. It took him a long time to recover. It was scary to think about it.

If there are children at home who are prone to allergies, I usually suggest that every time they add a new complementary food, they should only add one kind and eat it for 3 days. If there is no abnormality, add the next one. If there is an allergy, they can immediately identify what it is. When you take your baby out to eat, don't give your baby anything he's never eaten before, especially highly allergenic foods such as nuts, mangoes, pineapples, and hairy peaches. If you want to try it, try it in small amounts at home, so don't panic if something goes wrong outside. If your child has a history of severe allergies before, you can also ask a doctor for evaluation and prepare an epinephrine pen. If something goes wrong, you can give it as soon as possible. It is more effective than anything else.

In fact, many parents are frightened when they encounter allergies and edema in their children. They wonder if the baby's physical condition is too poor. There is really no need to worry too much. The baby's immune system has not yet matured before the age of 6. Food allergies are often transient. Most children will naturally tolerate it when they grow up. Pay more attention to it, and if you have any problems, see a professional doctor. Don't blindly believe in folk remedies, which are better than anything else.