Having a baby is incredible happiness for parents, but often it is overshadowed by diseases, the most common of which is allergy. Unfortunately, it is difficult to insure yourself against allergic reactions in your baby, but it’s quite possible to understand their reasons in order to know how to help your child.
What is an allergy?
In medicine, an allergy is considered to be the sensitivity of the body to external stimuli: microbes, chemical agents, food components. The allergy mechanism is formed as a result of the body's immune response to external or internal factors.
Young children, especially newborns, are most prone to allergies, as their immune system is just beginning to form, digestion is weak, and the mucous membranes and skin are tender and vulnerable. The same reasons cause the complexity of the course of allergies in newborns.
Unfortunately, in modern times, allergies in the youngest children have become the norm, as there are more and more irritating factors in both nutrition and the environment. That is why the answer to the question whether there can be an allergy in a newborn is unequivocal: yes!
Symptoms and signs of an allergic reaction
Most parents quite clearly imagine what allergies look like in newborns, and believes that the diagnosis of this disease should not be difficult. However, in practice, the manifestations of such a reaction in a newborn can be very different, and it is important to know about them so as not to miss the onset and development of the disease in your baby. Symptoms of allergies in newborns, the photo of which is presented in the article, will also help distinguish it from other diseases, however, to make an accurate diagnosis, it is better to consult a doctor.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction are divided into:
- Violation of the functions of the digestive tract. Abdominal pain, frequent regurgitation and vomiting, loose stools with an admixture of mucus or a greenish tint and other related symptoms often indicate to parents not a stomach problem in their bloodstream, but rather an allergy.
- Respiratory distress. Watery discharge from the nose, difficulty in breathing and periodic snoring are often a sign of an allergy in the baby, and not at all the onset of a cold. Such manifestations are the most dangerous, as they can lead to bronchospasm and the development of edema, including Quincke's edema in the larynx.
- Dermatological disorders. The most common sign of allergy among newborns is skin damage. The disease can be accompanied by redness on the cheeks and face, gloss and drying out of the skin, a rash of various localization, gneisses in the area of the hairline, diaper rash. Parents often call such symptoms “diathesis” and often do not attach much importance to them.
From how an allergy manifests itself in a newborn, one can take off when determining the causes of a non-standard reaction of the child's body in order to quickly identify an irritating factor.
Causes of an allergic reaction
Knowing what an allergy is, it is equally important to understand the reasons why it can occur, since the treatment of the newborn will directly depend on them.
According to statistics, an allergy in a baby is 30% likely to occur in a child if one of his parents is prone to such reactions, and with a 60% probability when both parents are allergic. In addition, the mother’s diet during pregnancy and lactation is a factor in the predisposition to baby allergies. In most cases, the cause of the allergy in this case is chocolate, exotic fruits, smoked meats, citrus fruits. The good news is that even with this predisposition, food allergies in most cases pass with the maturation of the child’s immune system by about two years.
Factors contributing to the development of allergies are also:
- The use of antibiotics, both for treating a baby and a nursing mother. Taking this type of medication leads to an imbalance in the microflora in the intestine and, as a result, to a decrease in immunity, provoking the development of allergies.
- Untimely attachment to the chest. In modern maternity hospitals, the baby is applied to the mother’s breast immediately after birth, to receive the first drops of colostrum. At birth, the baby’s digestive tract is completely sterile, and immediately after receiving the first food outside the womb, beneficial bacteria begin to colonize it. Failure in the formation of microflora can cause intestinal disorders and subsequently allergic reactions to various irritants.
- Violation of the nutritional standards of a nursing mother. The regular use of not only potential allergens, but also hypoallergenic products leads to the development of antibodies, which, together with milk, are transmitted to the baby and can cause allergic reactions.
- Vaccinations. Often the cause of the development of allergies is the vaccines administered to the child, as they contain a variety of aggressive components.
- Changes in the diet. Toddlers are extremely sensitive to new products, especially cow's milk, which is the most common allergen among children in their first year of life. In addition, the transition from breastfeeding to a mixed or artificial type of feeding can also provoke an allergy.
- Intrauterine factors. Everyone knows the ban on alcohol and cigarettes during pregnancy, but few people know that these factors can cause the development of severe allergic reactions in the child in the future.
- Infectious diseases. During a normal viral infection, inflammatory mediators are released from the cells, including histamine, the content of which in the body of an allergy sufferer is already exceeded. For this reason, against the background of respiratory diseases, the development of allergies is likely.
Types of allergies in a baby
Despite the fact that more often than others, newborns are allergic to food irritants, the development of undesirable reactions is also possible under the influence of factors not related to food.
- Dust. Dust mites - saprophytes actively propagating in dust masses, leave a large number of their vital products, which are strong allergens. In addition, dust, including household dust, may contain fungal and mold spores, natural fluff, animal hair, pollen and other allergy-provoking components.
- Pollen. The response to pollen is called in medicine pollinosis, which is actively manifested during the flowering period of various trees and herbs. The body of the child pollen components are often perceived as aggressive, and a protective response is triggered, manifested by lacrimation, runny nose, sneezing and other related symptoms.
- Medicines Drug allergy is a fairly common phenomenon, since aggressive components, residual protein of cow's milk and other allergens are quite common in the composition of medicines.
- Chemistry. Household chemicals, including cleaning products, washing powder, as well as cosmetics used to care for the baby, can cause skin allergic reactions, less often reactions from the respiratory system. Moreover, a reaction to synthetic fabrics, as well as dyes in their composition, is quite likely.
- Food. It is most difficult to recognize the cause of a food allergy in a child. Since to determine the allergen one will have to take turns eliminating various foods from his diet and observe the reaction. When breastfeeding by the method of exclusion, the diet of a lactating woman is fully developed.
- Hypoxia Oxygen deficiency in the prenatal period and during childbirth can cause impaired digestion and enzyme deficiency of a newborn, resulting in allergic reactions to most foods, including those that a nursing mother consumes.
- Pathology of pregnancy. Toxicosis and the use of allergenic food during pregnancy can cause a violation of the protective functions of the baby's body, which after birth will manifest frequent allergic reactions to various irritants.
The danger and consequences of allergies
At first glance, allergies are absolutely not a dangerous disease, and after excluding contact with the allergen should not cause unpleasant consequences, but this does not always happen.
Against the background of allergies, especially with delays in making a diagnosis and appropriate symptomatic therapy, very unpleasant complications are possible:
- Anaphylactic shock. One of the most dangerous complications of an allergic reaction, as it develops very quickly and in case of delay with medical help can cause death. Anaphylaxis is a rare occurrence in newborns, but can occur suddenly, without other symptoms.
- Quincke's edema. A sudden and extensive swelling of tissues, referred to as Quincke, also carries a huge danger for the baby, because forming in the larynx, without timely help leads to severe suffocation. Edema can be an instant reaction to an aggressive allergen, therefore, on all detergents and medicines there is a note “keep away from children”.
- Asthma. Bronchial asthma often develops as a complication of an allergy, after which it complicates its treatment and the further life of the child.
- Anemia. Allergy, as well as taking medications for its treatment, in some cases cause the destruction of red blood cells and anemia.
- Chronic bronchitis, rhinitis, otitis. Symptoms of an allergy with untimely elimination can flow into a chronic phenomenon and develop into more serious problems in adulthood, such as sinusitis, deafness, etc.
- Atopic dermatitis and skin diseases. The danger of such diseases is a violation of the skin and, as a consequence, the high probability of penetration of bacteria, infections, fungus. Children's allergic reactions can also cause psoriasis and eczema in adulthood.
- Fatigue. Irritability, constant fatigue, drowsiness are side effects on allergy medications - antihistamines, however, they are often the consequences of a prolonged course of allergies without appropriate treatment.
Neglecting the first symptoms of an allergy in a baby is fraught not only with further health problems, but also with a deadly risk, because most of the consequences and complications of allergies appear suddenly.
Allergy in a newborn while breastfeeding
Allergies in babies who are breastfed most often do not occur on the mother’s milk itself, but on allergens that have penetrated into it with the food she uses. That is why when identifying symptoms of food allergies in a baby. First of all, I adjust the diet of his mother.
Potential allergens that can cause unwanted reactions in the child's body are:
- chicken eggs;
- seafood and some types of fish;
- mushrooms;
- nuts
- honey;
- citrus;
- cow's milk.
In the digestive tract of the baby there are no necessary enzymes, so the diet of a young mother should be strictly limited. It is recommended for a nursing woman to keep a food diary, in which everything that mommy eats is recorded, and then it is much easier to determine the allergen and conduct appropriate treatment. If there is no such diary, then all potentially dangerous foods are excluded from the diet until the baby completely disappears.
More often than other symptoms in infants, allergies are manifested by skin reactions in the form of all kinds of rashes, often with itching, drying out and peeling of the skin, diaper rash, urticaria, hyperemia, and prickly heat.
In the absence of allergy therapy, symptoms of gastrointestinal tract function join the symptoms:
- spitting up;
- vomiting
- constipation or indigestion;
- bloating and increased formation of gas jets.
Often, an allergy in a newborn with breastfeeding is often suspected at the age of 3-4 weeks, when a rash appears on the body, sometimes quite intense. At this age, the baby's own hormones begin to form, causing a rash, similar to acne, with white contents. You should not be afraid of such rashes. Since they are classified as normal and pass on their own within two weeks.
Any symptoms of an allergic reaction in the baby are a good reason to consult a pediatrician and undergo an unscheduled examination.
Allergy to Artificial Nutrition
It is no secret that the best nutrition for a baby is mother’s milk, however, for various reasons, it has to be replaced with artificial mixtures for feeding, or, if there is not enough milk for full feeding, add such mixtures to the diet.
It is the mixture that often causes the development of allergies in the child, especially cheap and non-adapted. In the composition of such mixtures, instead of the whey protein prevailing in breast milk, casein is present, which is poorly absorbed by the child's body and is unfavorable for the emerging metabolic processes.
Symptoms of an allergy to the mixture in a newborn are various types of rashes on the head and face, profuse regurgitation, vomiting, too loose stools, anxiety. And sometimes an increase in body temperature.
Most modern formula for feeding are adapted, and many of them are marked "hypoallergenic", and if there are risk factors for allergies, it is worth choosing these.
Allergy to the face in a newborn
Redness on the cheeks, chin and head of the baby indicates a disorder in the work of internal organs. Such a rash can itch, prevent the baby from falling asleep and cause him great anxiety.
It can occur as a result of exposure to food allergens, as well as a reaction to vaccinations, household chemicals, laundry detergents, fungus, dust, and external factors - wind, sun, frost.
Allergies in a newborn's face can be accompanied by prolonged colic, constant spitting up, changes in stool, vomiting, coughing and runny nose.
It is noteworthy that the rash on the face can look different, its most common manifestations are:
- urticaria - numerous itchy blisters;
- eczema - rough to the touch, weeping spots;
- atopic dermatitis - reddening, drying, flaky rashes, often accompanied by itching;
- neurodermatitis - abundant papules, merging into extensive red spots.
Body allergy
Rashes on the body caused by a particular allergen are often called atopic dermatitis. Such a reaction can occur both on food from the diet of the baby or his mother (when exclusively breastfeeding), and on external irritants, especially often on washing powder and household chemicals.
In newborns on the body, the rash is most often localized on the buttocks and forearms, less often on the stomach and back. Initially, an allergy symptom may look like red spots, with the gradual occurrence in the zone of localization of puffiness, vesicles and intense itching, leading to anxiety of the baby.
Allergy to cats and other animals
Allergies to animals in newborns are quite common, and often future parents try to get rid of the pet and find new owners for it even before the baby is born.
Most often, cats become the cause of allergies, or rather their hair, especially if an allergy to animals is present in one of the parents. The danger of such an allergy in a newborn is associated with suffocation and the development of complications of an allergic reaction, therefore, if an animal lives on the same living space with a child, any atypical symptoms and reactions that occur in the baby should cause concern.
Symptoms of animal allergies are easily confused with signs of the disease, as they include:
- sneezing
- nasal congestion;
- redness of the eyes;
- rash;
- tearing;
- drowsiness;
- cough;
- wheezing
- hoarseness.
The cause of allergies can be not only the coat of the animal, but also its saliva, urine. Dead skin cells on which protein is present is perceived by the child's body as an aggressive factor. The complexity of the diagnosis lies in the fact that newborns do not have allergy tests, so the only option to determine such an allergy is to completely isolate the child from the animal and its metabolic products.
Allergy treatment
The doctor should prescribe the treatment of allergies in the newborn, since only a professional doctor will be able to choose suitable and safe preparations for the baby and correctly set their dosage. , .
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- "Fenistil" - drops allowed for use in children from the age of 1 month.
- Suprastin is an effective histamine blocking drug in the form of syrup, tablets or injections.
- "Zirtek" is an effective drug that is acceptable for use in children from 6 months of age.
To eliminate the rash, in the case when it does not go away on its own, and the itching does not stop even when taking an antihistamine, ointments with corticosteroids are prescribed. Such an ointment is hormonal, but very effective, and almost instantly normalizes the skin, eliminating swelling, redness and itching. Such a drug can only be prescribed by a doctor, and you should not abuse it at the slightest rash.
Atopic dermatitis is characterized by increased dryness of the skin, therefore, to eliminate its manifestations, special moisturizing compositions are used - emollients, in the form of milk, gels, ointments. High efficiency in the fight against atopic dermatitis is demonstrated by Emolium, an allergy cream for newborns.
Allergy Prevention
Of course, it is much easier to use all possible preventive measures than to treat an allergy in a newborn and eliminate its many symptoms.
When breastfeeding, allergy prevention is tight control over the mother’s diet. In addition, in the presence of risk factors for allergies, it is important to introduce complementary foods to a child no earlier than 6 months old, starting with low-allergenic foods.
To prevent allergies, it is also important to maintain the baby’s access to breast milk for as long as possible, since only this product can be fully absorbed by the baby’s body.
The prevention of allergies also includes the elimination of possible external allergens. Household chemicals, washing powders, etc. should choose organic. No pungent odor and abundance of chemical components. The air in the room where the child is located should be moist and clean, so it is important to regularly ventilate the room and use a humidifier. It is recommended to use only natural fabrics in the clothes and bed of the baby, and the contact of the baby and pets should be strictly limited.
Unfortunately, in modern babies, allergies are common enough. Every fifth baby on the planet suffers from various manifestations of an allergic reaction. However, modern medicine helps to cope with the symptoms of this disease and even live a full life in the future without restrictions, it is only important to recognize its calls in time and to observe preventive measures.