When will a newborn's allergies go away? Food allergies in infants: photos, treatment and symptoms, when it will go away

A common and unpleasant problem is allergies in infants: the infant’s body has not yet developed the necessary protective reactions, so any allergen - food, fabrics, dust, pollen, pet hair, can provoke an allergic reaction. It is often more difficult to treat than in an adult, so it is important to accurately diagnose the source of irritation and avoid child contact with it. What are the causes of irritation and what remedies can be used without harm to the child, we will consider in this article.

What is an allergy in a baby?

It is known that allergies in infants are a process of increasing the sensitivity of the skin and intestines to certain allergens. It can be of food or non-food origin: an irritable reaction in a child can be caused by absolutely any food product, as well as everyday phenomena such as dust, chemicals, and pets. Allergies in newborns can manifest as rashes on the body, gastrointestinal disorders or respiratory allergosis of the respiratory system.

What does an allergy look like in infants?

Irritation can be on the baby’s buttocks, stomach and face, the scalp and eyebrows flake off. Allergies in infants look like redness, small rashes, flaky areas of skin, subcutaneous swelling of the mucous membranes, prickly heat, urticaria, and diaper rash. If skin manifestations occur, even with proper, regular care, an allergen may be to blame.

Allergies in infants on the face

An allergy appears on the face of a baby in the form of diathesis, a number of characteristic symptoms that are located on the cheeks, forehead, chin, look like red, dry spots of different sizes, rashes, and small watery pimples. They appear immediately after eating, or some time after contact with the allergen, then disappear partially or completely.

Such symptoms can cause unpleasant sensations in the child: itching, slight burning, skin tightness. If the face is affected, you should try to prevent the child from scratching the itchy areas with his hands, because this can not only spread the rash throughout the face and body, but also provoke the appearance of ulcers and small wounds that take a long time to heal in infants.

Causes of allergies in infants

Among the causes of allergies in infants, reactions of food and non-food origin can be distinguished. Heredity plays an important role: children in whose families there have been repeated cases of bronchial asthma, dermatitis, and chronic runny nose are at increased risk of developing allergic reactions from birth. Another factor is the timing of breastfeeding and the baby’s natural immune abilities.

Food allergies in infants

A common irritant is protein, which is contained in ready-made milk formulas and even components included in breast milk. Food allergies in infants are manifested by skin rashes and intestinal manifestations: frequent regurgitation, loose stools, constipation, abdominal pain. The respiratory system may be complicated by spasms and nasal congestion. The following sources of the problem can be listed:

1. A nursing mother's diet includes the following foods: chocolate, coffee, mushrooms, fish and seafood, exotic fruits, red vegetables, freshly squeezed concentrated juices, whole cow's milk, chicken eggs, honey, fried and smoked foods, fatty meats, sausages, blue cheese , preservatives, emulsifiers, dyes.
2. Ready-made milk mixtures containing protein, lactose, cereals, soy, honey. It is necessary to check the mixture for allergenicity before feeding.
3. Irritation in a child can be a consequence of poor nutrition of the mother during pregnancy, illness, infections, or smoking.
4. Overfeeding a child can cause allergies.

Contact allergy in infants

An infant may develop an allergy after interacting with potential irritants: household chemicals, animals, plant pollen. Even with the most careful care, the child comes into contact with the environment and develops responses that do not always pass without a trace. Contact allergies in infants can be caused by the following:

• dust, mites, bedbugs;
• perfumes, cosmetics (both for children and those used by adults);
• indoor plants;
• pets (any kind, even hairless ones);
• household chemicals (washing powders, dishwashing detergents, air fresheners).

How to determine what a baby is allergic to

Diagnostic methods vary depending on the age of the child. Special tests and laboratory tests from specialists: pediatrician, allergist, nutritionist will help determine what the baby is allergic to. After one year of age, children undergo special skin tests, tests to identify the irritant: they apply various substances to the skin and observe the reaction. How to identify an allergen in a baby:

• inspection;
• survey of parents regarding foods consumed, mother’s diet;
• blood tests (checking the level of immunoglobulin E, eosinophils);
• Ultrasound of the abdominal organs.

Allergy to protein in infants

Protein is contained in both breast milk and infant formula, in the form of cow's, goat's, and soy milk. An allergy to protein in a baby can appear either immediately, 10-30 minutes after feeding, or within several days. The casein protein contained in animal milk is heat-stable - that is, it is not destroyed when heated; children are allergic to it.

If you are allergic to protein, it is important to carefully monitor the diet of a nursing mother, add more cereals, fermented milk products, lean boiled meat and vegetables, dried fruits, baked apples; allergic foods should be completely excluded. For such children, milk formulas with a protein content of no more than 3.5 kDa are prepared; when switching to a full diet, they start with pureed white and green vegetables.

Allergy to formula in infants

Most formula feeding formulas contain cow's milk because it is similar to human milk; less often - goat or soy products. You need to carefully read the contents on the packaging and avoid allergic products. An allergy to formula in an infant can be caused by cereals contained in artificial nutrition. If symptoms are detected, you should immediately consult a doctor and individually select a hypoallergenic mixture.

How long does it take for allergies to go away?

If you exclude the allergen from the diet or area of ​​influence, the allergy does not go away very quickly, within a few weeks. A common cause of rashes on the body of an infant is primary hormonal changes, the body’s adaptation to the conditions of the surrounding world, after the first contacts with water and various substances. In this case, the diet may not have a visible effect and the reaction goes away on its own. If the problem is a specific allergen, then medicinal ointments, drops, and baths can speed up recovery.

Treatment of allergies in infants

How to treat allergies in infants is a complex question that requires a detailed analysis of the causes and characteristics of its manifestation. If several areas are affected simultaneously, it is better to immediately use complex drug therapy. This treatment of allergies in infants includes eliminating signs of irritation, intestinal disorders, runny nose, bronchial wheezing, and a mandatory diet for mother and child. A strict hypoallergenic regime should be observed for the first 2 weeks, then the menu should be adjusted by adding proven, tolerable products to it.

If the signs of an allergy are strong and cause discomfort to the child, then it is better to carry out all procedures under the supervision of a doctor, after choosing the appropriate method of treatment. The timing of adding complementary foods, vegetable and fruit mixtures to the diet should not be violated: earlier complementary feeding can cause long-term allergies, and prolonged breastfeeding can bring a lot of complications in the future.

Allergy medicine for infants

To combat allergic irritation, it is permissible to use certain medications designed specifically for infants. They are prescribed if diet and limiting contact with the allergen do not produce the desired result. Of all the allergy remedies for infants, antihistamines, hormonals, adsorbents, local remedies, and drugs for restoring intestinal microflora are effective. It is important to study the composition of the medications used: they may contain even more dangerous allergens. What remedies can help if a baby has allergies:

• Drops - harmless Fenistil: allowed from the 1st month, has a slight sedative effect, relieves itching, eliminates allergy symptoms, is not addictive. You can start taking Zyrtec, Cetirizine, Claritin from 6 months, they have anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic effects.
• Ointments - for application to selected, non-inflamed areas of the skin.
• Enterosorbents – for symptoms of intestinal allergies.
• For children under one year of age - eye drops Olopatadine, Azelastine, activated carbon, and other medications without sedatives or other side effects. Coal tablets need to be dissolved in water; soft-shell capsules can be given to children from two years of age.

Bepanten for allergies

It is known that Bepanten is an external preparation for rapid tissue regeneration, healing, and moisturizing of the skin. It is a soft emulsion that has a dense texture and a characteristic odor; The main active ingredient is dexpanthenol. Bepanten shows good results for allergies: it soothes the skin, fights diaper rash and redness. Contraindicated only in case of hypersensitivity detected during use; safe and non-toxic.

Antiallergic drugs for infants

To treat various types of irritation in an infant, forms of drugs such as tablets, injections, drops, syrup are prescribed, and most of the drugs are prohibited for children under one year of age. An allergist will help you choose the right medications; self-medication in these cases is extremely dangerous and undesirable. Antiallergic drugs for infants are available in liquid form, since small children cannot swallow tablets; they can be crushed into powder and dissolved in water. Antiallergic drugs that should be in every mother's medicine cabinet are:

• Fenistil-gel is an effective external remedy that relieves itching, does not dry out the skin, and helps with moderate rashes.
• After six months - Zirtec, Kestin, Claritin, Gismanal, Peritol.
• Erius for swelling of the mucous membrane.
• Smecta, Enterosgel for intestinal disorders, Sorbex.
• For dysbacteriosis - Babynorm, Linex.
• Azelastine, Ketotifen for children up to 6 months.

What to bathe a child with allergies

If an infant has an allergic reaction, bathing in medicinal baths can help. This ancient folk method will help soothe itching, inflammation, and soften dry areas of the skin. If you have allergies, you can bathe your child in solutions of chamomile, string, and calendula; According to reviews, a decoction of bay leaves has good results, but it is better to buy all herbs in pharmacies: they must be one hundred percent pure. Several rules of water procedures:

• Use only 1 type of herb to see if your child has an irritable reaction to any of them.
• The first bath should last no longer than 5 minutes, subsequent ones – 15.
• It is not advisable to use baths for a child more than 2 times a week.
• There is no need to rinse with water after a bath, use soap or other products while bathing - this will only spoil the healing effect.
• Herbs such as thuja, broom, celandine, tansy, and wormwood should be avoided.
• Before bathing, strain the broth.
• The water temperature for an infant is about 40 degrees.
• The broth should not be too strong.

Photo of allergies in a baby

Video: How food allergies manifest in infants

The spread of allergic reactions affects not only adults, but also infants - we are talking, first of all, about allergies to food products. Since allergies in children are much more severe than in adults, this issue should be taken care of immediately. Many, for example, try to breastfeed their babies only, but it should be remembered that food allergies in infants can also be triggered by breast milk.

Reasons for a child's predisposition to allergies:

• If one of the child's parents is susceptible to allergic reactions, the child's chance of being allergic increases. Typically, the predisposition of one of the parents with a probability of 37% leads to an allergy in the child, and the predisposition of each parent increases to 62%.
• The next important factor is the consumption of the following foods by the expectant mother during pregnancy: vegetables and fruits of bright colors, milk, chicken eggs, chocolate, tonic drinks, nuts, honey and mushrooms. The consumption of these products by a pregnant mother increases the chances of the child developing an allergenic background. Smoking, as well as the use of antibiotics by the mother during pregnancy, negatively affects the unborn child’s tendency to allergies.
• Diseases suffered by the child in infancy or hypoxia during pregnancy affect the formation of allergies. Such diseases include, first of all, intestinal infections and ARVI.
• Failure to comply with the feeding schedule of a nursing mother and infant greatly increases the risk of allergies.
• Unreasonable transfer of a child from breastfeeding to infant formula negatively affects susceptibility to allergies. Regularly changing formulas and using cheap formulas significantly increases the risk of allergies, as it disrupts the functioning of the baby’s gastrointestinal tract.

Infants have poor production of the enzyme responsible for digesting food, so any new food is either not digested by the child or is digested with great difficulty. Most often, regularly changing food products leads to their rejection by the child’s body, which leads to rejection of the food in the future.

What symptoms will allow a mother to recognize the presence of an allergic reaction in her baby if it could not be prevented?

Allergies can manifest themselves in different ways: skin diseases, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases:

1. Signs of allergic skin diseases are skin redness, rash, itching, peeling, profuse sweating, Quincke's edema, urticaria.
2. Respiratory diseases usually manifest themselves in severe allergic rhinitis.
3. Gastrointestinal diseases are expressed in constipation, diarrhea, frequent regurgitation, gag reflexes, and flatulence.

The most serious and life-threatening of the above diseases is Quincke's edema. With this disease, some parts of the body swell, an attack of suffocation occurs, a lack of oxygen occurs, and the child’s voice quickly becomes weak. If such symptoms occur You need to see a doctor quickly!

• In 85% of cases, infants develop an allergy when consuming cow's milk (protein).
• The next product (62% of allergies) is a chicken egg.
• Dangerous are gluten-containing foods, bananas, buckwheat, potatoes, soybeans, less often corn, and even less often various types of meat.

If any allergy symptoms occur, the mother needs to show her child to a specialist to identify the product to which he is allergic and exclude it from the child’s diet. To do this, you need to keep a food journal in which your child's consumption of various foods and his reaction to them will be recorded.

Frequent cases of food allergies in a child can lead to the fact that he will develop other types of allergic diseases (not only food ones).

Note to moms!

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Video

Treatment of allergies in a child under one year old

Treatment for allergies usually consists of a strict diet that eliminates the suspected allergen from the diet. You can give some advice on what foods a nursing mother should exclude from her own diet in order to protect her child from allergies:

• Products containing artificial colors.
• Preservatives.
• Fried foods.

Important article: what can a nursing mother eat?

For newborns, life begins with a clean slate. The immune and digestive systems of a newborn are just developing. An allergy is an erroneous reaction of the immune system that leads to damage to its own tissues.

Manifestations of the disease

The most common manifestations of allergies in infants:

1. Runny nose
2. Sneezing
3. Tearing
4. Edema
5. Skin rash
6. Itchy eyes

Signs of a delayed allergic reaction:

1. Constipation
2. Regurgitation
3. Colic
4. Eczema
5. Diarrhea

Signs of an allergy that require immediate medical attention:

1. Difficulty breathing (especially dangerous in newborns)
2. Progressive swelling in the face and neck
3. Anaphylactic shock
4. Causes of allergies

Common causes of allergies in infants:

1. food
2. respiratory
3. contact

If mom or dad are allergic, the baby's chances of being allergic increase. In addition, predisposition to the disease is increased by pathologies of pregnancy: maternal anemia, toxicosis, threat of miscarriage, hypoxia of the newborn and others.
In newborns, allergic diseases develop due to intestinal diseases (intestinal infection, dysbacteriosis), damage to the central nervous system (perinatal encephalopathy), antibiotic treatment, and early artificial feeding.
Later, the main causes of the disease become poor nutrition and living conditions of the child, infections, medications and vaccinations.
Common people consider food allergies to be the most common. In fact, food is the culprit in only 14% of cases in adults. By comparison, molds are the cause in 30% of cases. The frequency of food allergies in children under one year of age, according to various sources, ranges from 15 to 40%.
Allergy is a disease of the civilized world. Life in a metropolis, a huge amount of chemicals in everyday life, environmental pollution - how many factors provoking the development of an increase in cases of the disease are created by human hands!
Treatment of allergies in infants should begin with confirmation of the diagnosis by a specialist! It is difficult to determine what caused the rash or runny nose. A rash in newborns is a reason to consult a pediatrician. Treatment can only be taken with medications prescribed by a doctor.

Food allergies in children of the first year of life

In 20% of infants, the doctor diagnoses a food (nutritional) allergy. By comparison, only 4% of adolescents have the same diagnosis. This is due to two factors:

1. The intestinal walls still have increased permeability
2. There are still few enzymes necessary for protein breakdown

Food allergies usually manifest themselves soon after consuming the allergen (within a few minutes to 4 hours). It goes away in a period of several minutes to several days.
Food allergies most often manifest themselves as skin rashes and digestive disorders.
Skin signs of the nutritional form of the disease:

1. Local redness around the mouth and/or anus
2. Various skin rashes
3. Peeling skin
4. Crusts on the head of newborns
5. Persistent diaper rash
6. Prickly heat

If the baby is bothered by itching and constantly injures the area that is bothering him, it is necessary to take measures to eliminate the symptom. With constant scratching, autoantibodies are produced. As a result, the body perceives its own damaged cells as foreign. Even when the wound goes away, the damage to the body is done and it can develop into a long-term problem. Itching in children must be eliminated, since it is impossible to prevent them from scratching. Drying ointments, antihistamines, hormonal, herbal preparations - it is necessary to choose a local treatment to eliminate itching.
Manifestations from the gastrointestinal tract:

1. Repeated vomiting
2. Diarrhea
3. Constipation (less common)
4. Excessive regurgitation of the infant
5. Coated tongue
6. Bloating
7. Rectal bleeding (extremely rare)

In infants, allergies are less common than in infants. In extremely rare cases, breast milk rejection occurs. Allergies to mixtures are much more common.

Treatment of food allergies in babies under one year old

The only solution to the problem is to change the diet of the child and/or the nursing mother. Otherwise, symptomatic treatment is used. In life-threatening cases, use antihistamines.
The more a nursing mother or baby has eaten a product that can cause an allergy, the higher the chances of an allergic reaction. An adequate approach to feeding a nursing mother consists of a varied diet and the absence of “assault attacks” on any one product. You shouldn’t resort to extremes and limit yourself in everything. How many reproaches does a nursing mother hear from relatives! As a result, she switches herself to a mono-diet of buckwheat, for example. The benefits of this have not been proven, but the harm to the mother’s psyche is undeniable.
You need to give up foods that dad is allergic to and foods with artificial colors and flavors.
For artificial growers, it is recommended to replace the mixture. Most often, but not necessarily, cow's milk is the allergen. Therefore, choose goat milk or dairy-free formulas. These types of mixtures are much more expensive. Allergy to cow's milk (milk protein casein) is expressed by symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract. If the baby has mainly skin signs of the disease, most likely this is a reaction to some other component of the mixture. If your baby is lactose intolerant, replacing cow's milk with any other animal source is pointless. Switching to plant-based milk will help here.
A common mistake that leads to the nutritional form of the disease in children under one year of age on complementary foods is the mother’s desire to diversify the child’s menu.

Infants have no need for exotic foods and pickles.

This video will help you better understand how to determine the cause of a child’s allergies. Don't forget to read the article to the end.

Respiratory allergies

1. Most often, signs of this disease appear as:
2. Rhinita
3. Swelling of the eyelids and dark circles under the eyes
4. Allergic conjunctivitis

Sneezing
The attentiveness of parents will help to identify the cause of the allergy. Allergens indoors can include dust mites, pets (including parrots and fish), fungal spores, and indoor plants. On the street there is pollen and chemicals.
If your baby is prone to respiratory allergies, try to eliminate the cause. If it is impossible to do this, clean the air in the room - today there are a number of technical devices for this. Use wet cleaning of the room. Minimize the use of household chemicals. Remove plush toys, carpets, and other “accumulators” of dust from the apartment.
Often the appearance of a small allergy sufferer forces a family to make a choice: endless treatment for the child or a pet. If a baby has changes in the lungs due to an allergy, the issue should be resolved unequivocally in favor of parting with the pet.

Treatment of this disease comes down to maximum efforts to identify and eliminate the cause. If this is not possible, it is necessary to use medications prescribed by an allergist. This type of allergy is dangerous due to its manifestations in the respiratory tract, suffocation is possible, so sometimes emergency use of medications is necessary. It is necessary to treat nasal congestion in infants.

Contact allergy

1. Review of the most popular vitamin supplements for children from Garden of Life
2. Washing powder. A special hypoallergenic type is used for children's underwear. They should also process mom and dad’s home clothes
3. Parents' cosmetics
4. Dyes used in clothing can cause reactions
5. Diapers
6. Wet wipes

Poor quality toys
It is recommended to bathe newborns without any additives in water or soap.

Treatment of a contact type of disease consists of eliminating the cause and symptomatic relief of manifestations. The contact type of the disease goes away quite quickly.

Prevention

1. To prevent allergies in infants, it is important:
2. Maintain a dietary regime
3. Make a choice in favor of natural light fabrics of clothing for babies, especially for newborns
4. Bathe children daily
5. Reduce the use of chemicals in everyday life
6. Avoid children sweating
7. Do regular wet cleaning
8. Antibiotic treatment should be accompanied by measures to stabilize intestinal bifid flora

Remember: preventing a newborn from getting sick is easier than curing it.

Allergies in newborns and infants are quite common, but, nevertheless, an annoying and problematic thing that occurs suddenly. In the first days of a child’s life, the skin is very sensitive to various allergens, since it does not yet produce enough substances to strengthen the epidermis. To the question “ What does an allergy look like in infants?"The answer is simple. Redness and peeling of the skin, itching and rash, difficulty breathing, vomiting and diarrhea - all of these are most often signs of an allergic reaction. Allergies in newborns are almost no different from allergies in infants.

It is impossible to diagnose an allergen at such a young age, and this creates the main problem. But don't give up! Usually the cause of an allergic reaction is the food the child eats. Since the diet of babies is limited and narrow, it is possible to identify the pest without much difficulty and quickly wean the child from it. At a minimum, for this you need to find out the symptoms, and then deal with the problem in more detail, and from a doctor.

Causes of allergies in infants

The most common sign by which you can understand that something is wrong with a newborn baby is rash covering all or part of the face. But this is far from the only sign by which an allergy can be identified. The types of allergic reactions themselves can be divided into several points:

Breathing disorders

Copious nasal discharge talk about swelling of the upper respiratory tract. Because of this problem, it is difficult for the baby to breathe both in the morning and at night. He may also snore while sleeping. Prolonged delay in visiting a doctor can be extremely dangerous. This leads to a sharp narrowing of the bronchi (bronchospasm) and subsequent resulting problems.

Skin damage

Redness and peeling of facial skin are also a wake-up call. The head may become covered with scales (gneisses), which are dead particles of the epidermis and secretions of the sebaceous glands. Does not depend on hygiene and diaper rash that forms in the area of ​​skin folds. They become inflamed due to the profuse sweating characteristic of infants.

If you notice similar symptoms in your child, do not rush to conclusions. You can observe the consequences of completely different diseases that are not allergies.

Touch your child's face only with clean hands, do not squeeze out blackheads, this is dangerous. It's best to consult a pediatrician.

Digestive dysfunction

How do food allergies manifest? Food allergies in infants may occur due to one or more of the following list and be a serious problem.

The newborn's digestive system is still in its developing stages. Children's sensitive intestines are very susceptible to allergens, especially food ones. Diseases further aggravate the influence of food irritants on the baby’s body.

The distinctive symptoms of food allergies are frequent “unreasonable” crying, which depends on the pain that the child experiences during a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. It is not always possible to identify the cause by the crying of a baby, but in the case of food allergies there are other signs that determine it. For example, stools of green color or shade, liquid consistency, with the presence of mucus. Vomiting and nausea are common. In rare cases, it can even develop into Quincke's edema.

Overfeeding- this is a seemingly harmless thing, which, however, can cause great harm.

In the case of infants, things are even more serious. The reaction can be not only to various additives, but also to banal, as it seemed at first glance, products. This makes the situation more complicated. It often becomes unclear to parents why it could be bad if everything is natural, and besides, the child is only breastfed, without formula.

But even here everything is not so simple. If you feed him every time a child cries, this can lead to negative consequences that parents will have to deal with. Overfeeding can cause vomiting and indigestion in general. Remember, the most important thing for a baby is to eat systematically, regularly, within normal limits.

The mixtures are prepared on the basis of animal milk, which is one of the most common allergens among children. To avoid an allergic reaction, use a hypoallergenic mixture.

Prepared food for your baby should be selected carefully and wisely. Before giving the formula to your child, make sure its composition is safe.

A child’s body needs a long time to get used to switching from one diet to another. If this condition is not met, the child begins to have health problems, in particular, with the absorption of food.

Mother's diet. Allergies can arise not only due to environmental factors and external irritants, but also due to what the baby’s mother eats during breastfeeding. Highly allergenic products are considered:

Heredity

The tendency to react to an allergen is transmitted genetically. If both parents are allergic, the likelihood of passing on the disease is very high.

Reaction to drugs

It often happens allergic reaction to various medications. Often allergens are antibiotics and drugs for gastrointestinal disorders:

• "Plantex" - a solution based on fennel, has a beneficial effect and works carefully. But it can also cause a rash;
• "Bobotik" - drops against bloating. This medication may cause allergy symptoms in infants due to fragrances;
• "Espumizan" is a solution that relieves a child from increased gas formation and colic. Common allergic reactions to this drug include diarrhea, vomiting, rash, and breathing problems.

Allergies in an infant occurs on one of the elements of the drug composition. Please note: the baby’s poor health may not depend on allergies, but on an overdose or side effects of the drug. In any case, you must call an ambulance. Be sure to read the instructions.

Animal fur

Allergies can also occur due to close contact with cats and dogs, or things made of natural wool. The fur itself is not to blame for the symptoms; the problem lies in the proteins of the animal’s sebaceous glands. This disease is spread by rodents, birds and cockroaches. Replace the blanket or use a specialized pet shampoo. Consult your veterinarian and pediatrician. Remember that there are no hypoallergenic animals.

Household chemicals

Symptoms of allergies to household chemicals are quite simple and pass fairly quickly. Redness appears on the baby's skin, quickly developing into itching, rashes, and blisters. Getting rid of such an allergen is also very simple:

• do not use powder and rinse aid to wash your baby’s clothes, wash clothes by hand and with soap;
• wash soft toys, treat plastic ones with miramistin or any other disinfectant;
• Do not use air fresheners/perfume/nail polish or other similar items in the room where the child is.

Dust and dust mites

Typically, allergies do not manifest themselves to simple dust, but to saprophytic dust mites. An allergic reaction to dust can occur if there is residual plant pollen, mold, fluff and other similar allergens in the dirt.

So How do allergies manifest in babies?? Everything is quite simple. Symptoms are immediately visible to an unobjective eye. The reaction of the skin, digestion, increased sensitivity and emotionality of the newborn immediately signals that something is wrong. You should definitely listen to such signs and visit a pediatrician as soon as possible. These signs may not mean an allergy, but completely different diseases, so a visit to a specialist is necessary.

Consequences

If you do not respond to the first and subsequent symptoms of the child, you can start the disease and ultimately get serious complications that affect the further development and, accordingly, the future of the baby. Diseases caused by complications:

Allergies are called the disease of the 21st century. Twenty percent of children born today will have a pathology by the time they graduate from school. How to help a newborn and infant? Is it always necessary to treat a disease?

The need for allergy treatment

An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to foreign substances called allergens. Over the last century, this diagnosis has been made to children ten times more often. The reasons for this are both the increase in the number of allergens in the child’s environment and the fact that medicine has stepped forward in the diagnosis of this disease, and now it is becoming easier to identify and cure it.

Redness of the skin may be an indicator of an allergy

The human body, especially in children of the first year of life, can often cope with the effects of allergic substances on its own thanks to the protection of the immune system.

If we compare newborn babies receiving artificial and natural feeding, then the former are more likely to develop pathology. Breastfed babies have minimal exposure to food allergens through their mother's milk and, even after breastfeeding, have a lower risk of developing food allergies. However, breastfeeding is not a panacea; there are exceptions, for example, when a child inherits a disease from its parents, and medical care is simply necessary. There are also cases when children are born prone to allergies due to a difficult pregnancy of the mother or due to the presence of disorders of the digestive or nervous systems.

With age, pathology in a child can develop from living conditions, after an infectious disease, when taking medications (for example, during antibiotic therapy), from vaccinations and other factors.

Manifestation of allergies in young children

A particular danger to the life of newborns is allergies that cause difficulty breathing, swelling of the face and neck (Quincke's edema), and anaphylactic shock. In these cases, you should urgently call for medical help.

Quincke's edema is accompanied by swelling of various parts of the body.

The most common symptoms of allergies in children are a runny nose and sneezing, redness, itching and dryness of the skin, rashes and watery eyes. Manifestations of the disease also include constipation or diarrhea, colic, excessive regurgitation and eczema.

Allergy symptoms in infants - photo gallery

Diathesis is a reaction of a child’s body to the environment. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease of an allergic nature. Eczema is an acute or chronic non-contagious inflammatory skin disease. Lacrimation in infants often occurs due to allergies.

Treatment methods for different types of allergies in newborns and infants

Treatment of the pathology depends on its type and manifestation. The main way to help a child is to identify and isolate the allergen.

Food allergies

Food allergies are the most common among other types. Signs of it appear soon after consuming the irritant (from instantaneous manifestation to four hours). There are a lot of food products that can cause a reaction in a child, but there are several groups of the most common food allergens:

• milk and dairy products (allergen - milk protein);
• chicken eggs (allergen - egg white);
• Fish and seafood;
• wheat;
• meat;
• berries, vegetables and fruits (especially red and orange colors, as well as exotic origins);
• nuts;
• sweets (in particular, those containing caffeine - chocolate, candies).

Following a diet will help avoid allergies

Food allergies in infants manifest themselves mainly in the form of diathesis, atopic dermatitis, eczema, urticaria or itching.

The best option would be to exclude provoking foods from a nursing mother’s diet, and also not to use formulas with cow’s milk for up to six months (optimally, hypoallergenic formulas with goat’s milk).

When feeding infants for the first time, a woman should keep a food diary, recording new foods introduced into the diet and the baby’s reaction. If an allergy manifests itself in the form of a rash, itching, redness, peeling of the skin, diathesis, urticaria or vomiting, the best help for the baby will be to exclude the allergen from the menu and follow a diet.

Breathing (respiratory) allergies

Allergens in everyday life for respiratory pathologies will be:

• pets (cats, dogs, parrots);
• dust, pillows and blankets;
• household chemicals;
• fungus.

Outside the home, allergens include pollen from plants (wormwood, dandelions, wheat) and trees (poplar fluff, acacia), and chemical reagents.

Manifestations of respiratory allergies are changes in the lungs (cough, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, shortness of breath), as well as allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion and swelling of the mucous membrane, conjunctivitis.

A runny nose is a common reaction to an allergen.

If an infant has signs of a respiratory allergy, then it is necessary to identify and isolate the provocateur. If it is impossible to remove it (for example, poplar fluff) or if it was not possible to determine the source of the reaction, there is a need to clean the air using technical means: put mosquito nets on the windows, purchase an air cleaner. In addition, an allergy sufferer needs to carry out daily wet cleaning of the room, minimize the use of household chemicals and get rid of dust accumulations (carpets, plush toys, pillows, curtains, bedspreads, etc.). If the cause of the pathology is pets, you need to give them to relatives or friends.

Allergic rhinitis: the school of Dr. Komarovsky - video

Treatment of this disease comes down to maximum efforts to identify and eliminate the cause. If this is not possible, it is necessary to use medications prescribed by an allergist. This type of allergy is dangerous due to its manifestations in the respiratory tract, suffocation is possible, so sometimes emergency use of medications is necessary. It is necessary to treat nasal congestion in infants.

In newborns and infants, contact allergies manifest themselves in the form of atopic dermatitis, redness and peeling of the skin, rashes, itching and eczema.

The causes of allergies are:

• chlorine in water;
• household chemicals;
• synthetic fabrics and dyes;
• wool, fluff, feather;
• low-quality toys, sippy cups, dishes - all household items with which the child comes into contact. The plastic from which things necessary for the baby’s everyday life are made must be food-grade.

The rash is a manifestation of an allergy

If an allergy occurs in a baby, it is necessary to identify and remove the allergen:

• filter and boil water;
• replace washing powders with children's ones;
• dress the baby in clothes made of linen and cotton, covering all parts of the body (put on the child long-sleeve sweaters, bodysuits, pants, cotton caps under hats);
• avoid overheating, which increases sweating;
• Bathe your baby daily, using baby products once a week.

Dermatitis in a child - video

Drug allergy

A drug allergy is a form of pathology in which the body's immune system produces antibodies in response to taking a drug.

The most allergenic are insulin, aspirin and even entire groups of drugs: antibiotics, vitamins, some vaccines. About 15% of people taking medications experience a negative reaction.

1. There are several factors that contribute to the development of drug allergies in young children:
2. Treatment without medical supervision.
3. Interaction of drugs with harmful substances from food (dyes, flavors, preservatives).
4. Cross-allergy (reaction to a drug with a similar formula, which is also an allergen, for example, penicillin and cephalosporin).
5. Simultaneous intake of a large number of medications.

Method of drug administration: inhalation and injection increase the risk of allergies.

A drug allergy can appear in a child either immediately after taking the drug (anaphylactic shock, Quincke's edema) or within 24 hours (fever, rash, itching, runny nose). Sometimes symptoms can occur even after a few days in the form of a rash and itching. An allergic reaction also includes the appearance of vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels).

Enterosgel is convenient for treating infants If the above signs of allergy occur in a child, immediately stop taking the drug.

In case of anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema, urgent medical attention is required in the form of a hormonal injection. In other cases, a diet and the prescription of antihistamines and sorbents, for example, Enterosgel, are recommended.

Among medications for allergies in children of the first year of life, there are two large groups of drugs: systemic and local agents. Each group is further divided into subgroups depending on the dosage form of the drug.

Medicines with systemic effects on the body

This group includes drugs for the treatment of allergies, which are taken orally or by injection and have a complex effect on the body. There are two categories: antihistamines and hormonal (steroid) drugs.

For infants, drugs of the first category are primarily recommended, as they are safer and have fewer side effects. Steroids are prescribed by a doctor in case of emergency medical care (anaphylactic shock or angioedema in a child), as well as in severe forms of allergies (for example, bronchial asthma).

Anti-allergy medications for one-month-old babies and older children: Suprastin, Fenistil and others - table

Systemic (general) action drugs
Antihistamines	Steroid (hormonal)
Preparation in the form of syrup: Eden. Drops: Fenistil (Dimetindene) is used in children from one month; Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is approved for children from six months of age. Injections: Suprastin (Chloropyramine) is allowed from one month, used in extreme cases and for no more than ten days. Tablets: Suprastin (Chloropyramine) in tablet form is administered orally. It is recommended to crush it to a powder before use.	Prednisolone. Dexamethasone. Dosage form for newborns - injection ampoules.

Preparations for complex therapy of allergies in children under one year of age - photo gallery

Sweet syrup is easier for children to take Suprastin - the most effective drug against allergies Prednisolone is used in severe cases Fenistil in drops is convenient for children

Complex therapy: use of sorbents, calcium gluconate

In addition to these drugs, in the complex treatment of newborns, adsorbents are used that remove allergens from the baby’s digestive system, thereby preventing them from entering the intestines into the blood (allowed from birth: Smecta, Neosmectin, Eterosgel). Also, during therapy, it is necessary to prevent constipation, and if it occurs, use products with lactulose that are safe for children in the first year of life: Portalac, Duphalac.

It is worth noting that if there is a lack of calcium in the child’s body, allergic manifestations intensify. This explains the appearance of negative reactions during teething and growth spurts in children. The use of calcium supplements (for example, Calcium gluconate) is optimal for babies under one year of age to avoid the appearance of a deficiency of this element. The drug should be given during meals, adding it to dairy foods.

Tools for a comprehensive approach to allergies in infants - photo gallery

Normaze contains lactulose
Smecta is an adsorbent approved for use by newborns
Lactulose syrup, approved for long-term use Duphalac - a safe and non-toxic drug with lactulose
Neosmectin is an analogue of Smecta. When added to food, a calcium gluconate tablet must be ground into powder.

Topical medications

Local action agents are safer for newborns and are applied locally, depending on the location of the affected area.

If symptoms of contact allergies occur in infants, drug therapy is possible, despite the early age.

All products are publicly available and available in every pharmacy. Preparations with dexpanthenol and lanolin, in addition to their antiallergic effect, have a soothing and wound-healing effect on children's skin, relieve diaper rash and are suitable for daily use.

Ointments, creams and gels for the treatment of skin manifestations of allergies: D-Panthenol, Tsindol, Advantan and others - table

Name of the drug and active substance	Dosage form	Age from which it is approved for use	For what manifestations of allergies is it effective?
Fenistil (dimetindene)	gel; emulsion.	from birth	itchy dermatoses; eczema; hives.
Psilo-balm (diphenhydramine)	gel
Bepanten, D-Panthenol (dexpanthenol)	cream; ointment.		dermatitis; allergic skin irritations.
Sudocrem (zinc oxide, lanolin)	cream		eczema; dermatitis.
Zindole (zinc oxide)	suspension		skin inflammation; eczema.
Advantan (methylprednisolone aceponate - synthetic steroid)	cream; ointment; emulsion.	from 4 months	atopic dermatitis; contact dermatitis; eczema.

Products for the treatment of skin manifestations in infants - photo gallery

Psilo-balm - antiallergic drug Cream with panthenol is intended for baby skin care Sudocrem - antiseptic for infants Advantan - effective for dermatoses
Tsindol - talker for the treatment of dermatitis
Fenistil is an antihistamine

Drugs for respiratory allergies

Allergic rhinitis is a fairly rare occurrence at an early age. If identifying or removing the provocateur is impossible, drops based on sea water or an isotonic solution are often used to help the baby. These drugs have a local effect: they moisturize the mucous membrane, remove allergens and are suitable for the child’s daily hygiene. Typically, in young children, allergic rhinitis accompanies viral diseases, then the treatment regimen includes antiviral drugs and interferons.

Vasoconstrictor drugs are not recommended for use for more than 5 days to avoid the development of addiction to the active substance. The action of such drugs is aimed at relieving nasal congestion, which is especially important for the possibility of proper nutrition and sleep.

Drops for infants for allergic rhinitis - table

Aquamaris drops - the best remedy for infants with rhinitis Nazivin is recommended for use for no more than 5 days Nazol baby - vasoconstrictor drugs with phenylephrine are preferable for infants
Otrivin baby - saline-based drops are ideal for hygiene of the nasal mucosa

Therapy for allergic conjunctivitis

For allergic conjunctivitis in children under one year of age, many antiallergic drugs are prohibited. Help is possible in the form of cool and wet compresses on the eyes, rinsing with chamomile infusion. Among local drugs, Ketotifen is approved for use (from the age of 6 months) and only when prescribed by a doctor. In severe forms of allergic conjunctivitis, the doctor will prescribe hormonal medications.

Doctor Komarovsky's opinion on antiallergic drugs - video

Folk remedies for allergies

When treating allergies, folk remedies are aimed only at relieving symptoms, and not at treating the disease itself.

Such methods are especially relevant for infants due to the safety and benefits of the herbs and plants used, as well as the possibility of long-term use without harm to the child’s health.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the prescription of herbal medicines, like conventional medicines, must be agreed with a doctor. Many collections contain asteraceous plants, which are strong allergens.

If a child has a reaction to flowering (or a genetic predisposition to hay fever), only an allergist should select the appropriate therapy.

Baths from string, bay leaves for itching and acne

The peculiarity of the treatment of allergies in infants and newborns is the limited range of drugs acceptable for therapy. The best prevention of the disease in breastfed babies is the diet of the nursing mother, and in formula-fed babies, the correct selection of a hypoallergenic formula. Daily hygiene procedures, wet cleaning, use of children's detergents and high-quality toys are also useful. By following these rules, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of allergies or reduce their symptoms.