The topic of allergies

The topic of allergies is an important one to think about. In no time in recorded history has there been a society so plagued with allergies as ours is today. There is a growing body of knowledge to support this and there is a growing number of differing opinions as to why this is the case.
20 years ago, a child could bring a peanut butter sandwich to school and it wouldn't be noticed. Now, there are very strict rules as the peanut allergy is so strong that children must be protected from anaphylactic shock.

There is a practise in place that when an adult is suspected to have a genetic food sensitivity or allergy, we do what's called a rotation diet. The same is true for infant feeding. You can start with a four day rotation diet where when you introduce a new food, wait four days, if there is no reaction, it's a "good" food that can be considered safe with no adverse reaction. Make note of it and then you can move onto the next food. This is especially important to do for your infant's first foods when you have a family history of genetic food sensitivity, intolerance, allergy or if the parent suffers from an illness brought on by poor digestion. An illness that is brought on by poor digestion is often the result of an unknown food allergy or sensitivity.

The difference between a sensitivity and a true allergy is the body's response. A true allergy will give off particular markers (IgE) that can be traced through blood analysis, a food sensitivity will not. A true allergic reaction will trigger a response from the body to fight and this is where the problem lies. The body essentially is fighting itself. The similarities between a sensitivity and an allergy are inflammation in the body. Both cause the body to have a reaction, both are uncomfortable from the standpoint of the sufferer. There is no clear evidence to trace a sensitivity aside from the elimination of the offending food and the resulting cease of the inflammation.

There are certain foods that commonly cause allergic reactions and are foods that when a suspected allergy is present in an adult, I recommend taking all of these away for a six week period. These are foods that are best left out of the diet of an infant until the baby is over a year old. These are: cow's milk, wheat, eggs, peanuts, soybeans, corn, beef, tomatoes, yeast, shellfish and mushrooms.

What are the signs of a reaction in the body?
Fatigue, irritability, nasal congestion, itching, and skin rashes. Fatigue and irritability are difficult to track in an infant, but possible.

If there is inflammation on the outside of the body, you can correctly assume there is also inflammation on the inside of the body, specifically in the gastro-intestinal tract. This is particularly detrimental to the developing digestive system. Inflammation, over time causes significant problems long term. Setting our babies up with a good digestive foundation from the onset is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children.



References: 
Bischoff,S.C.,J.H. Mayer, and M.P. Manns. 2000, "Allergy and the Gut" International Archives of allergy and Applied Immunology (Basel)121:270-83
Pipes, P.L., and C.M. Trahms.1993. Nutrition in Infancy and Childhood. Fifth edition. St. Louis: Mosby

Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2004 Nov;93(5 Suppl 3):S12-8. 

Scurlock A.M., Burks AW.Peanut allergenicity.Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.