What is an Allergy?

An allergy is defined as a susceptible reaction to any substance in the atmosphere termed as an allergen.

When an infant with an allergy comes in contact with some allergen by breathing, eating, touching, or getting it injected, his body mistakenly interprets it as some dangerous intruder and releases chemicals like histamines as a resistant response.

The body gets irritated by these chemicals and shows symptoms like running nose, itching, sneezing or coughing. One can show mild or severe symptoms, intermittent (for example – seasonal), or continuous allergy if constantly exposed to the allergen.

Sometimes, allergens can cause a more severe reaction called the anaphylactic-shock. Severe symptoms, such as difficulty in breathing or swelling in any part of the body, are life-threatening and need immediate medical help.

Examples of Different Allergens:

Allergens can be of different types such as dust mites, food, insects, mold, drugs, pollen, and animal dander. Respiratory symptoms, skin allergies like eczema, allergic rhinitis, intestinal problems and nasal allergies are some of the examples of allergies, which can be caused by such allergens.

Causes of Nasal Allergies:

Babies and toddlers are the most vulnerable victims of dust mites. Dust mites are microorganisms which flourish on deteriorated human skin. Out of the total number of allergy sufferers, almost 85% suffer allergy due to dust mites.

• Animal Dander: Furry animals like cats and dogs shed deteriorated, white specks of dead skin and hair called animal dander. Animal dander is also one of the main reasons of skin and nasal allergies.

• Mold: Mold is a type of fungi which is found in damp, wet places like basements, bathrooms.

Woolen blankets, sweaters, and feather pillows can be the reason of allergy in some children. Most of the experts believe that tobacco smoke cannot be allergic to children; however, in reality, it is completely different. It can make their allergy even worse.

How Can I find out if my Baby is Having Simple Cold or Nasal Allergy?

Since the symptoms of nasal allergies are quite similar to those of cold such as running nose, nasal congestion, watery eyes, cough, and sneezing, except few of the minor signs, it is very difficult to tell the difference. However, allergies do have some telltale signs that can solve this confusion for you.

Ask yourself a few questions:

• Does it feel like your baby is always having cold? Generally, cold does not stay for more then a week or ten days while allergies do.
• Do you think your baby’s nose is always running or is always stuffy?
• Is he constantly wiping, wiggling, or pushing it up, if yes, then it is called an allergic salute in medical terms.
• Is the mucus which flows from his nose thin and clear or thick yellow and greenish?
• Does he sneeze continuously?
• Are his eyes red, itchy, and watery?
• What is the color of the skin under his eyes? Does it look a bit dark, blue or purple? Doctors call them allergic shiners.
• Is he breathing through his mouth?
• Is he having dry cough?
• Is his skin around the nose broken out in a red rash?

If your answer is yes to even one of these questions, then most probably your son is allergic to something in the environment. Kids having nasal allergies are likely to get sinus infections, asthma, or even ear infections.

Allergies and Genetics

Most of the times, allergies are inherited but it is not necessary that the child will get the same allergies.

For example, if one of the biological parents of the child is having pet allergy or hay fever, then the chances for the child having the same problem are 40 to 50 percent. If both the biological parents are allergic to something, then the possibility increases to 75 to 80 percent.

Sometimes, members of the same family may even have different types of allergies.

In case My Baby has an Allergy, will I come to know immediately?

Probably, you won’t. Allergy may take some time to develop. An allergen takes some time to reach the personal threshold of an individual before causing a reaction. This time period can stretch up to several months.

So if your baby has an inherited allergy to cat or dog dander, then even while your pet is around, he may not have any trouble for a few months or will not have much reaction. But then suddenly one day, his immune system may not bear it any more, his body will show reactions, and the problem will arise.

Seasonal allergies such as allergies to grass or pollen do not show their stuffy and ugly heads until the child is around 3-4 years old. This is because we get exposed to every individual pollen grain only for some weeks during the whole year.

How can I Find out what Allergy My Baby Has?

A lot of study has been involved and many-a-times, even medical tests have been conducted to find out the exact reason for allergies. Some help can be derived at the point of time when an allergy occurs.

It is difficult to find out a Mold allergy, since it generally occurs in rainy seasons or in damp conditions during which even cold is also frequent. Allergies due to pollen generally occur during summer, fall, or spring. Pet allergies or dust mites play a vital role in causing morning congestions.

Even sending Tommy away for a few days won’t let you know whether your kid is allergic to pets or not. Research done at Johns Hopkins University showed that it takes more than a year to keep your pet away from the allergic people in your house to increase their stamina toward pet allergy.

To know the reason behind the allergy can be quite tricky! For example, if you take your pet on a vacation away from your kid and at the same time your kid seems well, then you may think that he is allergic to pets, but you can never be sure – it may be a coincidence and he may be allergic to something else.

If you feel that you are unable to know the correct reason for the problem, then you must always consult the doctor. He will try to examine your baby by asking him questions. If he judges the root of the problem as an allergy, then he may ask you to take a blood test to know the level of IgE (allergy) antibodies in his blood or he will advise you to take the help of an allergic specialist.

But blood tests are not as accurate as skin tests, especially in case of kids. So, even if the blood test does suggest an allergy, a skin test must be your next step. You will have to consult an allergist for the same.

An allergist, applies allergens in small proportions, that are common in children, on your baby’s skin which causes same sort of reaction similar to the one caused by a mosquito bite. Although the reactions may probably be of lesser intensity in kids than that in older children, the tests are more than useful.

Seattle allergist Frank S. Virant describes “The allergy may change as your baby grows older and he may or may not be allergic to the same things as he was”. It may be a case when the tests are negative and yet your baby is showing allergy symptoms. In this case, you must take the allergic test every 6 to 12 months.

What Precautions should I take for My Baby against Allergens?

Following are some of the ways which may help you in protecting your baby from common allergies:

Dust Mites:

Dust mites are almost everywhere, in fabrics, in carpets, and in all rooms of a house. However, the most common place where children may come in their contact is the bedroom, since pillows and mattresses house these dust mites in huge numbers.

You may have to work hard but the following steps will be quite helpful. Virant says, “By following these steps, parents can expect to control their child’s allergies by 60 to 70 percent. And this surely will reduce the dose of medicines required for the problem.”
Some allergy supply stores sell impenetrable covers that are made with stiffly woven material to encase the baby’s mattress. Opposite to vinyl covers, these covers do not wrinkle and make a breathable barrier for the child.

• As far as possible, use only blankets instead of fluffy comforters, since these collect more dust.
• To kill the dust mites, it is necessary to wash the bedding at least once a week.
• Before washing the bedding, remember to make sure that the water is hot enough (up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit) and also warn other members of the family that the water will be hotter than usual.
• Later, turn the water heater again to the normal temperature (about 120 to 125 degrees), so any member of the family would not scald himself by washing his hands or taking a bath in the same water.

To avoid your baby’s contact with dust mites, don’t keep any stuffed animals in his room; these attract dust mites. Wash your baby’s favorite ones in hot water once a week or put them in the freezer to kill them with overnight frost.

Dusting and vacuum cleaning is a must every week or on alternate weeks in the absence of your baby. While cleaning the room, the residual dust particles stir up in the air and to avoid this, wet cleaning with a mop is a better option.

The HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arresting) facility in some vacuum cleaners help in arresting even the microscopic dust particles which ordinary vacuum cleaners cannot, so it is better to invest your money in an HEPA vacuum cleaner.

In cases when the child has severe dust allergy, replace the carpet with a smooth vinyl or hardwood flooring.

In seasons when the air conditioners or furnaces are in use, their monthly cleaning is a must. The heating ducts need to be kept dirt-free so get them cleaned every year.

Animal Dander:

• Animal pollen also causes allergy and if your baby is facing the same problem, then the best solution is to keep your pet away from the baby.
• One can understand that it is not an easy decision to take and you may also consider it as the last option.
• It is very important to wash your pet frequently to stay away from dander. In every pet store, you can get shampoos which help in reducing the dander. Make sure that your pet does not sit on the sofa and also don’t allow it to enter your child’s room.

Mold:

Use an air conditioner or a dehumidifier in a warm and wet weather, especially in the basement and other areas of the house where it is wet and is a reason for the growth of molds.

Mostly, bathrooms are factories where molds are produced in bulk. So many disinfectants are available in the market, like bleach etc. which can be removed with water or with oil of a tea tree and are also natural. Spend some money for better ventilation.

Molds can also be found in attics, closets, planters, shower stalls, cellars, refrigerators, under the carpet, and garbage cans. They can be found even in an artificial Christmas tree.

Can Medications be used to Help my Baby?

Yes, but don’t just give any random medicine available in the market for allergies. First consult your doctor.

After a thorough check up, he may prescribe some antihistamines to control the allergy. The latest medicines introduced for allergies cause fewer side-effects than the other products in the market. However, doctors do not approve these medicines for babies who are less than six months of age.

How can My Baby be protected from an Allergy in the First Place?

Lots of parents get confused because of conflicting information about allergies such as which precautions should be taken to prevent or delay allergies by postponing them. If the child is exposed to the potential allergens, then it will mean acceleration of the allergy.

Virant says, “In future, scientists will be able to find out the genetics which will indicate in advance about the allergen the child is going to react to and its preventions. However, at present, no one can predict anything about what will really help.”

The fact is that if you or your partner is allergic to dander, then you will definitely not like having any pet in your house.

The best way to avoid allergies is to keep your home, particularly your child’s room, very clean and free from dust mites and mold, irrespective of the fact whether or not your child is having an allergy.

The first thing you need to do if you want to treat the colic, is to consider with your doctor if it’s caused by smoething medical. Those cases are rare, but they can be treated easily. The important points to consider are these:

• Does the baby have a hernia, or another medical problem?
• Does it go to the toilet to poop too often, or too rarely? Are there any suspicious substances in its “product”?
• Does the child eat too much or too little?
• Is the baby’s stool coloured strangely (appearing with clay-like colours, or perhaps green or black)
• Does it gain less weight than normal?

If you answered any of these with “yes”, then you may have a problem on your hands, and need to consult your doctor for appropriate information. The second thing you need to do (in case none of the above situations apply to your baby), is to minimize the symptoms. There is very little evidence to support the theory that breastfed babies have different rates of colics than formula-fed ones, and whether foods eaten by the mother can add to the colic. There is also little evidence that any treatment can cure the symptoms.

There are some things you can do with your diet to alleviate the risk of problems, though:

• If you’re breastfeeding, minimize the amount of cabbage you eat, as well as milk, onion, chocolate and caffeine. A study exists which suggests that these foods contribute to colics severely. If it works, the mother should start adding the foods back to her diet one at a time, until she finds the one which causes the problems.
• If you’re formula-feeding, consult your baby’s doctor about changing to a formula with no dairy. It’s known to help from time to time.
• Move the baby around. Rock it, place it in a body carrier, take it out for a car ride – anything to get it moving, this usually helps a lot.
• Give the baby a pacifier if you’re breastfeeding it.
• Lay it down on your lap, and rub its back gently
• Burp it often, especially after he’s been sucking on a pacifier, and after eating. The baby may have swallowed air which causes gas.
• Stimulation in the environment can be harmful as well, try to minimize it
• Increase the feeding at nighttime
• There are also some medications. Only one is known to have effects, and that’s dicyclomine, which has about 5% risk of side effects. Simethicone may also help, but other medications are known to very rarely work, if at all.

These are just some simple suggestions on how you can treat the baby. The problem is a tricky one, and treating it should not pose harm for the baby. You should consult the baby’s doctor for the best advice on how to proceed with treatment in the most efficient manner possible. Remember that he is the person who’ll be most involved if any complications arise.