Recently, Hengyang City participated in the National Urban Infant Allergy Epidemiological Survey. 40.9% of infants and children aged 0-24 months have had or are having allergic diseases, mainly manifesting as itchy rash, eye and nose symptoms (frequent sneezing, runny nose or nasal congestion, itchy nose, itchy eyes, red eyes), wheezing, gastrointestinal symptoms (frequent vomiting, frequent stools, unformed stools, frequent abdominal pain, blood in stools, constipation and diarrhea, frequent exhaustion) and mouth and lip symptoms (edema around the lips and mouth, itching). (frequent vomiting, irregular stools, frequent abdominal pain, blood in the stool, constipation, diarrhea or vomiting, frequent gas) and lip and mouth symptoms (edema and itching around the lips and mouth). What are allergies? What foods cause allergies? What are the health risks of allergies for infants and children?
What are allergies?
Allergies in infants and children have become one of the most talked about public health issues of the 21st century. Allergies are considered when the body’s immune system overreacts to naturally occurring harmless substances from air, food, water or contact. The most common food allergens are: nuts such as peanuts, milk, eggs, soy and wheat, etc. For infants, milk and eggs are the main food allergens, and the younger they are, the more they are allergic to. babies may also be allergic to soy.
What are the symptoms of allergies in babies and children? Allergies mainly involve the skin, digestive system and respiratory system. The most common allergy symptom in babies is atopic dermatitis (also known as eczema). In addition, babies also have digestive symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation, but because many normal babies also have these symptoms, parents usually do not think of allergies, and when babies are older, they also have symptoms such as asthma.
What are the health risks of allergies to infants and children? Skin damage: One of the most common symptoms of allergies in infancy is eczema, which is a serious damage to the baby’s delicate skin and can also cause secondary skin infections if scratched and ulcerated. Restricted nutritional intake: If the food causing the allergy is an important source of nutrition, for example, milk protein, eggs, etc., it can restrict the baby’s access to nutrients and, over time, may lead to malnutrition. Affecting sleep: Allergy symptoms can cause babies to cry because they are uncomfortable and often make them sleep restless, which not only hinders their sleep and affects their physical development, but also affects parents’ normal sleep.
How to prevent the occurrence of allergies in infants and children?
1.Mothers-to-be avoid contact with allergens
If food allergies occur before or during pregnancy, avoid the allergic food as much as possible, and take active probiotics if you have gastrointestinal discomfort. Also the mother-to-be should avoid contact with second-hand smoke.
2.Natural birth
The fetal intestine is a sterile environment. After the baby is born, if probiotics (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, etc.) are allowed to settle in the baby’s intestine as early as possible, it will play an important role in preventing allergies. During natural delivery, contractions will occur so that the baby will have swallowing action, which is the first step for probiotics to colonize the baby’s intestine. When the baby is delivered through the mother’s birth canal, the baby’s mouth and nose will come into contact with the probiotics in the birth canal, which is the second step in preventing allergies.
3. Try to breastfeed the first milk
After the baby is born, it is best to suck on the mother’s nipple within half an hour. The baby will eat the bacteria in while sucking on the milk, which will help to create a healthy environment in the intestinal tract early and prevent the occurrence of allergies. The proteins in breastmilk are the same kind of protein for the baby and generally no allergic reaction will occur. The composition and nutritional ratio of breast milk are most suitable for the baby’s gastrointestinal tract, so babies who eat breast milk rarely have allergies. Moreover, the process of breastfeeding is bacterial feeding, which can help to establish the baby’s intestinal flora as early as possible, which is conducive to the prevention of allergies in babies.
4, early cautious use of general formula
The permeability of the intestinal wall of newborns is high, and large molecules of intact milk protein can easily enter the baby’s body through the intestine, greatly increasing the risk of allergy. After a doctor’s assessment of insufficient breast milk, you should choose moderate hydrolyzed protein formula feeding that has been confirmed by a large number of clinical studies and last for at least six months to achieve certain allergy prevention effects.
5, appropriate consumption of probiotics
Probiotics mainly include Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which can prevent allergies by improving the intestinal micro-ecological environment, regulating immune function and improving the resistance of intestinal mucosa to allergic substances. Infants and children can take probiotic preparations or consume formula with probiotics or prebiotics to supplement probiotics and achieve the purpose of allergy prevention.
6.Add supplementary food on time and reasonably
6 months after birth, babies should add complementary foods on time, and pay attention to the following points when adding them: first add foods that do not easily cause allergies, such as fortified iron rice powder, and then gradually add vegetables, fruits, meat, egg yolk, fish and shrimp, protein and other foods. Foods that parents are allergic to are best added after infancy before trying to add them to the baby. Foods such as egg whites, nuts, fish and shrimp are the types of foods that can easily lead to allergies, and it is best to add them to babies after they are 1 year old. If a baby has ever had eczema and other allergies within 6 months of birth, the above allergy-prone foods are best added to babies after 10 months of age. In the process of adding complementary foods, if the baby has a clear food allergy, it is best to try to add such foods after reaching the age of 1 year under the guidance of a doctor.
7, reasonable use of antibiotics
Parents usually have 2 attitudes towards antibiotics: dependence on antibiotics, babies with colds and fevers also use antibiotics; say antibiotics, in the case of babies should use antibiotics, as soon as the condition has improved to hastily stop the drug, afraid to use more side effects. Both situations can affect the balance of the baby’s intestinal flora and increase the risk of allergies, so there is no need to give your baby antibiotics for bacterial infections, but when you need to use them, you must use a full course of treatment.