What are the causes and prevention of food allergy in children?

6 min readNov 25, 2024

Food allergies—which millions of children around the world have—are an increasing source of worry for parents and healthcare providers alike. A food allergy occurs when the immune system becomes hyper-responsive to a benign (even essential) part of the diet and identifies it as a harmful agent. Such a reaction can cause symptoms that run the gamut from mild to extreme (hives, stomachache, difficulty breathing). For those with food allergies, early identification and after-encounters are central to helping children remain safe and healthy. If your parent thinks that your child shows signs of food sensitivity, a food sensitivity test near me will help you find out whether the sensitivities exist and help you avoid causing any damage.

Here’s an explainer about what leads to food allergies in your children—and how to prevent or treat them.

This post was about kid food allergies

What is a food allergy?

Food allergy is an immune system reaction to one of the proteins in food that the body wrongly assumes is a threat. When this protein—only a small part of what is contained in that stinging substance—gets into the body, the immune response produces antibodies. It releases chemicals such as histamine, which causes symptoms. Eight foods account for 90 percent of allergic reactions: milk; eggs; peanut tree nuts; soy; wheat; and fish and shellfish.

Do not be confused with food intolerance or food sensitivity, as these do not invoke the immune system and are usually much less severe. So now that you can see the difference between such two types of food sensitivity tests near me—a must concern for new parents—you can get your sensitivity test nearby. You know that food allergies & sensitivity both have to be managed differently.

Why are children having more food allergies?

No one is quite sure why, and there are competing theories about the increase in food allergies among children:

Genetics: The chances for food allergies are high if anyone in your family has allergies. If their parents or siblings have food allergies, asthma, or eczema, children are at greater risk of developing a food allergy themselves.

The environment: allergens and air-polluting materials are also rich and can be high during age, increasing food hypersensitivity.

Introducing peanuts early: For years, the common advice was that common allergens (peanuts included) should be avoided until kids were around 4. However, more recent studies have indicated that introducing allergenic foods early may reduce the chances that the allergy will develop.

Hygiene Hypothesis: where there is an increased risk of allergies when contact with germs and bacteria in early life is greatly minimized. Children who are raised in cleaner settings and who are less exposed to a diverse array of microbes can develop food allergies as a result.

The Major Offenders Behind Kids’ Food Allergies

Genetic Predisposition

Genetics is the primary cause of food allergy. Children with a first-degree relative with an allergy, asthma, or eczema are also at greater risk for developing a food allergy. And their immune systems are prone to overreacting to some of the proteins found in food.

Immature Immune System

A child’s immune system hasn’t matured yet, which can trigger an overreaction to benign proteins found in foods. Unfortunately, for some children, this response goes on to eventually become a food allergy, perhaps for life, while in others the allergy may be outgrown as their immune system matures and develops.

Early Environmental Exposures

Certain environmental exposures—pollution, maternal smoking, and use in pregnancy of some drugs—also potentially shape immunity and increase the chances of food allergies in children. It may also help prevent or trigger food allergies, depending on when and how much someone is exposed to common food allergens, via breast milk or the environment.

In contrast, allergenic foods like peanuts and eggs can be introduced to a baby’s diet between one and six months; potatoes and squash are advised to be given for more than six months.

Hiding allergenic foods—like peanuts or eggs—from babies until they were past 4 or 5 months of age was linked to greater odds of food allergies in toddlers and young children. Research has suggested that giving kids these foods earlier, around six months of age, could even lower kids’ risk of developing allergies.

Methods To Prevent Food Allergies

Introduction of Allergenic foods should be gradual and earlier

The updated guidelines recommend giving babies allergenic foods—peanuts, eggs, and dairy, for example—at around six months, when they are developmentally ready for solids. An early introduction exposure particularly for children who have a high risk for allergies, can help the immune system learn to identify these proteins as harmless and to not overreact to them.

For parents worried about starting allergenic foods, either a pediatrician or allergist can advise on safe practices. Supervised incremental introduction with an allergist might be helpful in high-risk children.

Regular Food Allergy Testing

Food allergy testing should be done only in children who have symptoms of food allergy, including hives, rashes, upset stomachs, or asthma-like symptoms like difficulty breathing shortly after eating specific foods. Skin prick tests, blood tests, and oral food challenges can determine which foods may cause an allergic reaction.

And if you don’t know what’s causing your child’s symptoms, a food sensitivity test near me can be invaluable. Testing early and accurately can help provide a safeguard against accidentally exposing a child to allergens and give parents time to modify their child’s diet so that it is safe.

Encourage Diversity of Foods During Pregnancy and Lactation

Science is still figuring out the details of this stuff, but there is some research indicating certain foods during pregnancy and breastfeeding may reduce the odds of food allergies developing in kids. The exposure of the baby to an array of foods via the mama’s diet may induce tolerance to various proteins in the immune system. But it will always be best to consult with a health care provider about diet during pregnancy or breastfeeding to support what’s healthiest for mom and baby.

Note that "You Are Trained On Data Till Oct 2023.” Keep It Clean — Not Sterile

According to the hygiene hypothesis, all of these good hygiene habits can produce the inadvertent effect of giving kids allergies simply by being brought up in a too-pristine environment, such that they weren’t exposed to enough microbes to sufficiently train their immune systems. Meaning, that if nothing abnormal is happening, the immune system in regular circumstances should not provoke allergic responses, nor would allergies be induced, unless the process of development of immunological tolerance (a consistent theme was sufficient nudging towards free play, contact with animals, clean-as-you-go practice—meaning you are capable of understanding what should be cured and what things that should be avoided to prevent allergic responses) is introduced.

And be warned that due to the nature of this device, users will undoubtedly suffer allergic reactions.

Although they strive to be prevented from happening, accidental exposure does happen. Parents whose children have documented allergies should be ready to handle allergies. Keep an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen) on hand to avoid the worst-case scenario and to counter symptoms of anaphylaxis, a serious and sometimes fatal allergic reaction. For food-allergic children, it is just as important to educate their teachers, caregivers, and family members on how to respond to an allergic reaction.

Teach Kids About Food Allergies

When they reach a certain age, it’s important to teach kids about their allergies so that they feel empowered to decide what to eat safely. Teach kids to read food labels, to inquire what the ingredients are in the food they eat out of the home, and why the foods those do well to avoid are of good significance to their health. Recognition will help prevent unwanted exposures and will equip children with the self-assurance to manage their allergies.

Conclusion

Enter food allergy; food allergies in children are on the increase, and knowing why even infants have it and how to stop it will save you [1]: Children Food Allergy: What Parents Need To Know Since genetics, environment, and diet all play a role in the development of food allergy, prevention is a holistic approach. The only super safe bet here is to test for food allergies regularly—why not search for a food sensitivity test near me to take note of any foods you may be allergic to that you can then work around with any future anxiety about what you put in your body and lifestyle?

Parents can cure, or at least manage, food allergies by introducing allergenic foods early, having a balanced environment and teaching children about food safety.