Food: Intolerance or Allergic?

First of all, when will your baby be ready to eat solid foods?

When they are chewing their fingers and asking for more milk, here's a sign!

You then can start introducing a fruit/veggie. Starting with simple mash at first (potato, sweet potatoes, carrot, pear, apple...).

We often say that routine is the key to succeed in your child's education, but with food, diversity will prevent your child from becoming a fussy eater while growing up.

It is round the age of 6 months that you can start offering food which contains allergens. But only one a day and you may be able to see if your child has an allergic reaction or not.

I know that you will start being scared at this point of your child chocking.

We all are!

But babies are less at risk to choke if they feed themselves than being provided with a spoon.

But don't be afraid, they seem to be choking, but they're gagging. It's a gag reflex which helps to prevent choking. As they learn to eat solids, they're pushing the tongue forward or out of their mouths and do a retching movement to bring food.

The eyes may water, cough or even vomit.

Easy to say... but, don't panic!

You may even make things worse by letting your child seeing you acting crazy!

Just wait and let them cough!

Coughing is the sign your baby isn't chocking.

Chocking: you are not able to cry, cough, or gasp. Big differences!

Babies can also be offered to drink a few sips during meals with their first cup.

From 7 to 9 months

Your baby will be eating up to 3 meals a day.

More finger food is to encourage so they can feed themselves, and they will slowly develop their co-ordination. That's when they learn how to start biting. You should be able to begin trying small pieces of meat, fish and green vegetables. Their curiosity in tasting new flavours will encourage a baby not becoming a fussy eater.

However, remember!

Babies do not need any salt or sugar added to their food (or in cooking water).

From 12 months

A child will now be eating three meals a day: healthy and balanced.

As your baby grows, eating together will encourage him to copy (imitation is a key) and develop good eating habits.

In addition to milk, (about three feeds a day) and with two healthy snacks in between meals.

• fruits
• vegetables
• daily products

Let's not forget breastfeeding. It's recommended to do it for up to 2 years or longer.

But that's up to you!

Don't be surprised if your child will need less breast milk as he/she will make room for more foods. They are usually weaning quickly at this point.

Which also means, no more infant formula. You can use whole cows' milk, as he/she will need the vitamins found in it. But also, he/she can now, use a cup with more confidence.

From 2 years old, if the child is eating well, he/she can have semi-skimmed milk.

Suppose you choose a healthy, balanced diet. You can use alternatives, such as soya, oat, or almond drinks, from the age of 1.

However, we should not give rice milk under five years old, as it contains traces of arsenic.

So good luck!

Food intolerance or food allergy?

A food allergy is a reaction by your immune system (it thinks like proteins are dangerous).

The body releases a chemical: histamine, which causes the classic allergy symptoms of hives or swelling, to the anaphylaxis shock.

Symptoms could be a rash, eczema, itching, just after eating. It is believed that babies with eczema problems are more likely to get a food allergy, but it's not automatic.

Food intolerance is considered as "less dangerous" (the body is merely struggling to digest).

Symptoms could happen a few hours after eating with a tummy ache or a skin rash.

If you have any suspicion of food that may have triggered some symptoms, you can try removing it from your child's diet and observing if he experiences new signs in the next two weeks.

Afterwards, reintroduce the food and see if symptoms return.

Of course, read on the labels to see if a packaged food contains any allergen.

Which explains why schools and other childcare establishments are so strict about food policies, and so, to avoid any responsibility.

Here are the most recurrent food reaction categories:

Cheese

Cheese can form part of a healthy, balanced diet for babies and young children, and provides calcium, protein, and vitamins.

Babies can eat pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months old. This includes hard cheeses, such as mild cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and cream cheese.

Babies and young children shouldn't eat mould-ripened soft cheeses.

Brie or camembert, or ripened goats' milk cheese and soft, blue-veined cheese, such as Roquefort, they are a higher risk that these (unpasteurised) cheeses may carry a bacteria called listeria.

You can check labels on cheeses to make sure they're made from pasteurised milk.

But you can use one of these cheeses in a part of a cooked recipe as the bacteria is killed by cooking. Baked brie, for example, is a safer option.

Eggs

Babies can have eggs from around six months.

But, of course, avoid raw eggs, including into an uncooked cake mixture, homemade creams, or desserts.

Fish

Cod is usually the first and the most favourite fish in our children's meals.

However, fish can increase the risk of food poisoning, depending on how it's been cooked. And the amount of mercury can affect the development of the nervous system. So be reasonable!

Gluten

Some people remove gluten from their diet because they "believe" they have experienced some symptoms after eating wheat.

It's essential to make sure what the symptoms are. If you have noticed your child having reactions to a portion of food or have any suspicious ... check with a GP. He might ask you to pass some detection tests with a specialist and check for any digestive or stomach illnesses. (which is a condition, not an allergy)!

Nuts

It shouldn't be given to children under five years old, as they can choke on them.

So you can prepare some from 6 months old, as long as you make sure they're well crushed.

You might need to check with your GP if there are allergies in the family before introducing any kind of nuts and peanuts.

Salt

As we mentioned before, we shouldn't add any salt or sugar in their diet.

So do not add, and only check if the food is too salty or too fat as babies don't have well developed or strong enough their kidneys yet.

Sugar

Babies don't need sugar.

(Including sugar found in juices and other drinks), it's just about dental hygiene.

Honey, sometimes, contains a bacteria that can lead to botulism, (an infection which causes weakness in the muscles) which can be very serious.

So, you can give your child some honey when he turns one year old.

And, of course, honey is a sugar, so be careful about tooth decay.

But Parents, don't necessarily overreact!

Sometimes babies have a slight reaction, (usually a small red skin reaction), simply because it is the first time they are trying something new...the body is figuring out how to react.

There is no known cure for food allergies or intolerance. The only responsible thing you can do is to avoid being in contact or being close to an allergen.

When you see the doctor, he might refer you to see an allergist. An allergy test is necessary, and with no risk and pain-free.

It's usually a skin test, a drop of the allergen on the tip of the finger. A moment later, a reddish area and a lookalike mosquito bite will appear. Then you will know if your child is positive for being allergic.

Otherwise, for children with strong reactions, a blood test is being required, checking the level of the allergen.