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I’m terrified my kid will develop serious food allergies and I won’t know what to do!

This week’s question comes from Nikki in London. And it’s a really good one in that the question is mainly how to prevent allergies in the first place. The answer to that is really difficult because no one is absolutely certain. I was a super allergic kid and I’m hopefully going to become a mom myself this year so I’m really tuned into the latest word from the experts. For a long time pediatricians have been recommending that parents avoid giving children certain foods, such as peanut butter or egg whites, until they are of a certain age, with the thought that their immune systems would be more mature and not be so touchy. However, now science is suggesting the opposite. There is a theory that our super-clean environment isn’t challenging kids’ immune systems enough, making them ultra-sensitive and therefore allergy-prone. So the answer is I’m not sure. My gut says the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle and we should make sure children are exposed to a lot of different foods early on, while trying to avoid giving too much of any one thing and being particularly cautious with foods that mom or dad might have an allergy to. This is probably a topic best sounded out on your pediatrician who can help you come up with a reasonable approach based on your family history and types of allergies.

As to what to do when an allergy occurs, if it is mild, a simple dose of an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as diphenhydramine, by mouth is reasonable. More serious reactions should prompt an urgent call to the doctor. Any kid who is having swelling of the lips and tongue, passing out or having trouble breathing needs to be seen immediately and you should call 911. Of course, you should let your doctor know if you suspect any allergic reaction to a food so that she can decide whether further testing is appropriate.

Dr. Lara Zibners, Jun 16, 2009

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