Every parent wants to protect their child from danger. Harmful food allergies often seem like they come out of nowhere, but the risks associated with these allergies can be minimized with some careful monitoring of your child's diet.

Before looking at what we can do to prevent allergies, let's first look at the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance. A true allergic reaction happens when something enters the body, such as food or pollen, and the immune system identifies it as a harmful invader and mounts a counter attack. This attack can be seen in the body as symptoms such as hives, itching, rashes or even anaphylaxis. An allergy that causes anaphylaxis is very dangerous, as it can cause swelling of the airway that is so severe it prevents breathing. A food intolerance, on the other hand, does not involve the immune system. Symptoms of a food intolerance include vomiting, diarrhea and rashes.

To prevent a food allergy from developing, it is important to make sure that foods that are likely to cause an allergic reaction are not introduced until the body is prepared to digest those foods. Babies under about ten months of age have immature digestive systems. This means their intestines are more porous, which allows larger particles of food to pass through the bloodstream. These particles then trigger an immune system attack. The next time the same food is eaten the immune system will remember the food as an invader and attack again, sometimes much stronger than the first time. If a food likely to cause an allergy is not eaten until the digestive system is mature enough to handle it is less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

The best food for your baby during the first six months of his or her life is breast milk. Cow's milk is very hard for babies to digest, even when it is processed into formula, so breastfeeding your baby exclusively for six months gives very good protection against food allergies. If you are unable to breastfeed and yourself or your partner has food allergies, ask your pediatrician to recommend a formula for your child.

After the first six months you can begin the exciting adventure into solid foods. The key to avoiding food allergies during this period is to introduce foods slowly. Only feed your child one new food at a time, and keep track of when you introduce each new food by writing it in a calendar or diary. This way you will be able to identify a problem food more easily than if you had to guess whether the rash was caused by the broccoli he had today or the barley cereal yesterday.

Delay the introduction of nuts, seeds, egg whites, strawberries, citrus fruits, cow's milk and chocolate until your child's first birthday. These foods are highly allergenic and by waiting until your child is a year old you decrease the chance that they will have an allergic reaction, which means that they will be more likely to enjoy these foods for the rest of their life. Some foods cause common food intolerance, such as wheat and diary, and if you or your partner are intolerant to these foods you may also wish to delay their introduction until your child is one year old.

If you discover that your child does have a food allergy, the good news is that most children outgrow allergies between the ages of four and seven. Some children live with life threatening allergies to foods such as peanuts, and great care must be taken to ensure they do not come in contact with the food they are allergic to. But many allergies can be prevented with careful monitoring of your child's diet, especially during the first year of their life.

Learn more about this author, Michelle Carchrae.
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