Читать книгу Eat Up: Food for Children of All Ages - Mark Hix - Страница 21

Allergic reactions to foods are uncommon in infancy and probably affect less than 2% of babies. Vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rashes and poor weight gain are the usual symptoms and cow’s milk is the usual culprit. The reactions occur after each exposure to the food, and a single vomit or loose stool should not be interpreted as a sign of food allergy. Other foods which most frequently cause allergic reactions in this age group are eggs, soya, wheat, citrus fruit, fish and peanuts. In rare cases, the reaction can be severe, and cause the rapid onset of swelling of the lips and face, and breathing difficulties (anaphylaxis). If this happens dial 999.

Children almost always grow out of the food allergies they experience as babies, but it may take two to three years. It is therefore wise to seek medical advice if you think your baby is showing an allergic reaction to a food. In particular, it is important to make sure that by excluding an offending food you are not giving your baby a nutritionally inadequate diet (by excluding milk for example). It is also wise to reintroduce the food under medical supervision.

Food allergies are much more likely to happen if there is a history of allergies in your family, in which case you can minimise the risks of food allergy by breastfeeding for as long as possible. Don’t introduce solids until four to six months of age and start with foods that are least likely to cause allergic reactions, such as single-grain cereals, vegetables and non-citrus fruits. If you buy processed food always read the label.

Try not to worry when introducing new foods to your child – remember that food allergies affect only a tiny minority. If your child does develop allergies, my fellow chef Giorgio Locatelli is a shining example of how to cope with them. When his daughter, Marguerita, was one year old it turned out she was allergic to a whole host of different foods. This put poor Marguerita in hospital, where she had all sorts of tests. Giorgio has to exercise all his culinary skills when cooking for her and he has invented a remarkable ketchup recipe. In case you are ever unfortunate enough to find yourself in a similar situation, here it is.