SIMON’S teacher came over with a tray of prawn rolls. “Here you go, Simon!” she said, offering him one. Much as he loved to eat the roll, Simon declined and explained that he could not eat prawns. That was not the first time he had yearned for forbidden foods at parties or felt alienated from other kids. He often wondered why he could not be like other eight-year olds and eat whatever he fancied without the risk of turning into a red, swollen monster, covered with hives or unsightly rashes and at times, even vomit.
Meanwhile, back at home, Simon’s mother worried that he would defy her instructions on foods to avoid at his class party. In fact, Simon’s food allergy has made his whole family emotionally exhausted with constant fears of life-threatening allergic reactions, guilt, resentment, stress and anxiety.
In trying to keep Simon safe but at the same time give him a sense of normalcy, everyday events that others take for granted including dining out, birthday parties, travelling or just eating at the school canteen is a cause for concern.
Many of us may not even give the Simons amongst us a second thought. After all, isn’t food allergy a growing phase and a small matter of itches and sneezes? This is where we are wrong. The truth is, the symptoms of food allergy can be mildly annoying or seriously life-threatening. They fill up a broad spectrum – from minor itching, sneezing, coughing and hives to vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, and of course, the dreaded anaphylaxis or “general shock”, which when left untreated or under-treated may result in death.
And if these symptoms are not good enough reasons for you to respect food allergy, mull over this – food allergy is usually the start of an “allergy march”, that is, if not managed properly, food allergy may lead to other allergic diseases such as eczema and asthma later on.1
In fact, about 50% of infants with food allergy will eventually develop respiratory allergies in later life2. This translates into additional suffering and healthcare costs, not to mention absence from school, social isolation, emotional distress and curtailed participation in sports.
While food allergy can occur at any age, it is most prevalent in infancy because infants’ digestive tracts and immune systems are still immature3. Most food allergies occur during the first three to four years of life4, and are now estimated to affect 5-20% of all children worldwide5.
Yes, we can! As the adage goes, “Prevention is better than cure”, only in the case of food allergy there is no cure for now. Therefore, we have to work on the prevention part. As parents, you have the power to avert or at least minimise the risk of allergy in your children and lead them towards a healthier and happier life. The secret lies in making the right decisions about food and feeding, right from day one,
Breastfeeding
In terms of allergy prevention, breast milk is undoubtedly the best for infants. Mothers are encouraged to exclusively breastfeed their infants for at least the first six months of life. Let’s see why:
- Breast milk is hypoallergenic, that is, it does not trigger allergic reactions in the baby. However, nursing mothers need to watch their diet and exclude highly allergenic foods because some babies may develop allergic reactions towards certain proteins in these foods that are transmitted through the milk.
- Breast milk enhances immune functions.
- Breastfeeding has a long-term preventive effect against non-food allergies2.
If you are not able to breastfeed due to medical reasons, please seek your doctor’s advice for alternatives.
Weaning
Weaning or the introduction of solid foods to babies is a high-risk period. We mentioned that babies have immature digestive and immune systems, which make them vulnerable to allergies. As such, weaning should be delayed until the baby is at least six months old (as recommended by WHO) and even then, highly allergenic foods such as shellfish and peanuts must be avoided during the entire first year.
Introduce only one new food a week to your baby. This will help you detect any adverse food reactions easily. For a start, you may want to give your baby rice cereals as it rarely causes allergic reactions and then gradually add other foods like fruits, vegetables, chicken and fish to his diet. Knowing that food allergy can rob us of a free and healthy life, it is time we take action. Start with your own kids. Give them a chance for an allergy-free life.