{"id":17067,"date":"2020-12-11T10:42:16","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T15:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/?p=17067"},"modified":"2025-01-15T13:58:55","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T18:58:55","slug":"allergies-in-babies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/allergies-in-babies\/","title":{"rendered":"Allergies in babies"},"content":{"rendered":"

COVID-19 has us wanting to avoid unnecessary trips to the ER more than ever (as if we needed another reason). This leaves many parents wondering if they should be introducing potential food allergens to their little ones right now. Luckily, the Canadian Pediatric Society has clear guidelines on this. According to them, there\u2019s \u201c<\/span>never been a death due to first ingestion of an allergenic food in infancy<\/span><\/a>.\u201d In other words, parents can give their kids potentially allergenic foods as long as they do it safely. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about <\/span>allergies<\/span> in <\/span>babies<\/span>, to keep your child safe.<\/span><\/p>\n

What causes food allergies in babies?<\/h2>\n

Allergic reactions happen when your immune system misidentifies a harmless substance (like eggs) as a threat. This causes the body to release chemicals called histamines, which trigger an immune response. So it\u2019s actually your body\u2019s own immune response causing the allergy symptoms like swelling and hives.<\/span><\/p>\n

We know there\u2019s a hereditary component to allergies because children with a parent or sibling with one are more likely to have an allergy too. But just because you\u2019re allergic to shellfish, doesn\u2019t mean your child will be. Researchers think that epigenetics play a role in who develops allergies. In other words, you can have the genes for an allergy, but if certain environmental factors don\u2019t \u201cturn on\u201d those genes, you won\u2019t end up with one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to tell if your baby has allergies<\/h2>\n

Allergies can show up in a few different ways. <\/span>Seasonal allergies in babies<\/span> or <\/span>toddlers<\/span> often cause watery eyes or runny noses, for example. But <\/span>nasal allergy<\/span> symptoms in <\/span>babies<\/span> don\u2019t just indicate seasonal issues. <\/span>Infant food allergies <\/span>can affect <\/span>baby\u2019s eyes<\/span> \u2014 making them <\/span>water and itch<\/span> as well as causing runny nose. <\/span>Pet allergies in babies<\/span> often show up this way as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hives and <\/span>rashes<\/span> can signal <\/span>baby allergies<\/span> as well. These show up for all sorts of allergic reactions \u2014 from mild laundry detergent allergies to an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts. But there are a whole bunch of allergy symptoms you might see in your little one \u2014 more on this below.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allergy symptoms in babies and toddlers<\/h2>\n

Allergy symptoms are varied and can range from mild to severe. They include:<\/span><\/p>\n