According to the World Health Organization, the global incidence of allergic diseases is increasing year by year. To this end, the Pediatric Gastroenterology Department of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University has compiled some food allergy-related knowledge to share with you, so that more people can have a better understanding of food allergies such as milk and eggs, and prevent illnesses from occurring in the first place. 1. What is milk protein allergy? Cow’s milk protein allergy refers to the body’s immunological reaction to one or several protein components in cow’s milk, and is clinically characterized by recurrent symptoms such as eczema, itchy skin, flushed skin, diarrhea, vomiting, crying and coughing. Milk protein allergy can also occur in infants and young children who are exclusively breastfed or mixed-feeding (when milk is consumed). 2.Why does milk protein cause allergy? The reason why milk protein allergy occurs, mainly related to the following factors: ① genetic factors: such as a family history of allergy. ② environmental factors: the abuse of antibiotics, disinfectants, etc.. ③Early exposure: early feeding of milk, etc. ④ Immune status: babies are just born, the gastrointestinal function is immature, and the digestion of ingested foreign proteins is incomplete, leading to allergic reactions to milk proteins. 3.How to determine the occurrence of food allergy in babies? Baby food allergy (including milk protein allergy) often appear as follows: ① skin symptoms: such as eczema, itching, perioral edema. ② gastrointestinal symptoms: such as diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, reflux, abdominal pain, crying, refusal to breastfeed, bloody stools, malnutrition, stunted growth. ③Respiratory symptoms: such as hoarseness, wheezing, dyspnea, etc. In order to prevent accidents, please go to the hospital in a timely manner, physical examination of the baby, under the guidance of medical staff to carefully record the dietary diary, with the doctor to clarify whether the milk protein is an allergen, or to rule out other diseases. 4.What other foods are easy to cause allergies? According to the statistics of the World Health Organization, the following eight types of food are prone to cause food allergies: milk, eggs, soybeans, wheat, fish, shrimp, peanuts, nuts and so on. 5. How to diagnose food allergy in babies? The gold standard recommended by the World Health Organization for determining food allergy is: food avoidance + food excitation test. Therefore, babies and mothers with suspected food allergy are required to avoid the allergic and suspected allergic foods for 2-4 weeks, keep a diet diary, and then go to the hospital and cooperate with the doctor to conduct a food provocation test to make a clear diagnosis. 6.How to keep a diet diary? Please follow the doctor’s instructions to fill in the details of the eating time of the mother and the baby, the food eaten, the time when the baby develops symptoms and the symptoms. You should keep a food diary for at least 2 weeks. In order to find out what kind of food your baby is allergic to as soon as possible, parents should cooperate with the doctor according to the following requirements: ① For exclusively breastfeeding: Mom should avoid the food that your baby is allergic to or suspected to be allergic to for 2-4 weeks. During the avoidance period, the mother can eat hypoallergenic food such as rice, green vegetables, chicken, pork and seasonal fruits while taking calcium supplements. However, it is emphasized to keep a dietary diary. ② For those who are formula-fed (also called artificially fed): choose hypoallergenic powdered formula or non-allergenic powdered formula, etc. as a meal replacement according to the doctor’s medical advice. Before switching to regular formula milk, do a food stimulation test. ③Mixed feeding (i.e. breastfeeding + artificial feeding): the mother’s diet as described in ① above, the baby’s as described in ② above. 7.How to add complementary food for babies with food allergy? Because babies are allergic, in order to avoid serious allergic syndromes such as anaphylaxis and laryngeal edema. To the baby to add complementary foods should follow the following principles: ① breastfeeding, the first mother to add the baby suspected allergies or allergic foods, breastfeeding to the baby, such as the baby is not uncomfortable, continued for 1-2 weeks, it can be assumed that the baby can tolerate the food, and then add to the baby. ② For artificial feeders, a food provocation test must be done before adding foods to which the baby is suspected to be allergic or hypersensitive. ③ Add any food, should follow: from less to more, from thin to thick, from fine to coarse, get used to a food before adding another. Meanwhile, food should be added when the baby is healthy and has normal digestive function. 8. How to treat and prevent food allergy? Once a food allergy is diagnosed, avoidance/abstinence of that food is the most important treatment. Doctors will also provide appropriate symptomatic treatment according to the severity of the disease. Take milk protein allergy as an example, the avoidance/abstinence process requires: ① Both mother and baby should abstain from consuming milk and other milk-containing products. ② Avoid goat’s milk, soy milk, etc. as a substitute food for cow’s milk to prevent cross allergy. Parents should read food labels carefully to understand the composition of the food. Prevent accidental ingestion of other foods containing cow’s milk. ④ Adjust the types of food in strict accordance with medical advice.