Allergies are unfortunately a common occurrence for many children and adults today. As long as your baby is still fully breastfed, everything is quite easy. But as soon as complementary feeding begins, uncertainty sets in: What is the baby actually allowed to eat now? And what should be considered if there are allergies in the family? And is it even possible to prevent allergies in babies?
Preventing allergies in babies: A question of nutrition?
If you or your partner suffer from allergies, then your child is also at risk of allergies. However, even children without a family history are not immune to allergies. Symptoms of an allergy could be, for example, that your baby often suffers from abdominal pain, vomits, and has diarrhea. A rash, frequently reddened skin, or a runny or stuffy nose can also be signs of an increased risk of allergy. Normally, the risk of developing an allergy is between 5 and 15%. If one parent or siblings are already affected, the risk increases to up to 40%. If both parents have an allergy, the risk is even estimated at up to 80%.
However, such symptoms can also indicate a food intolerance. An examination by a pediatrician provides clarity here. An intolerance can be managed by omitting the corresponding food. But nutrition also plays a decisive role in allergies.
Allergy or intolerance?
In an allergy, the immune system reacts to an actually harmless substance, which is then called an allergen. In babies, food is the trigger in 90% of cases; animal hair, house dust, etc., are less common. If your baby comes into contact with these allergens, their immune system reacts and switches to defense. This leads to reactions of the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose).
If, on the other hand, it is an intolerance, things look a little different. In an intolerance, the body of your baby cannot properly digest a substance. In contrast to an allergy, where symptoms appear immediately, the consequences of an intolerance often only show up after a few hours or even days. This leads to abdominal pain, diarrhea, or bloating.
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Do you think your baby might have an allergy?
If you believe that your baby is experiencing allergic symptoms, try to find out exactly when and in what context this happens. Before feeding, after feeding, when putting on fresh clothes? If your baby is already eating at the table, note down exactly what they have consumed. This will help you better identify what exactly caused the allergy. And of course, you should consult with your pediatrician.
Prevention of allergies – what can be fed?
Breast milk strengthens the baby's immune system and is considered the most important and effective prevention in the early stages. If you cannot breastfeed, you should alternatively feed hypoallergenic infant formula.
If you know what your baby is allergic to, the corresponding product can potentially be easily avoided.
But even if your child does not yet show any signs of an allergy and you primarily want to feed preventively, you should rather remove foods known to be particularly allergenic from the menu right away.
These include, in particular, cow's milk, egg and fish, peanuts, sesame, and wheat. Cow's milk allergy is by far the most common form of allergy in babies. Therefore, it makes sense to omit all products made from cow's milk for the first year. If you want, you can slowly introduce your child to cow's milk after that. However, there may be better alternatives. For example, you could continue to breastfeed your child for a while longer, because breast milk is the best thing you can give them, and naturally much better than milk from a cow.
Ideally, you should only introduce the foods mentioned above after the first year of life and then not all at once, but gradually. This way, you can always immediately recognize what your baby is reacting to.
Cow's milk or other allergy – what now?
Cow's milk allergy is particularly common in babies and toddlers. This is not surprising at all, as the human organism has only gradually adapted to the consumption of cow's milk over time. In some parts of the world, such as Africa and Asia, a large part of the population still cannot tolerate cow's milk today. On closer inspection, this is quite logical: cow's milk is breast milk for calves, not for humans.
If your child is affected by an allergy, you must henceforth meticulously check all ingredients in baby food. Since 2005, manufacturers have been obliged to declare allergens on packaging, e.g., peanuts, milk, celery, sesame, etc. Caution: Sometimes allergens are not recognizable at first glance but are hidden behind other names. Cow's milk, for example, is also hidden behind caseinates, whey, galactose, lactalbumin, rennet, or milk fat.
There is now a huge selection of alternatives to cow's milk. Calcium can also be found, for example, in green vegetables, in calcium-rich mineral water, in almonds, or in tofu. Children who have passed their first year of life may also be given plant-based milk made from soy, rice, oats, or almonds instead. Little ones usually get used to the taste quickly. On the other hand, you should not switch to goat's or sheep's milk, because these also contain animal proteins that could trigger cross-allergies.
Life with an intolerance or allergy can become a bit more complicated, but nowadays it is usually well manageable because retailers have long since reacted. But there is also another ray of hope: many intolerances that a small child develops are already a thing of the past by the time they reach kindergarten age. So it is by no means certain that an allergy or intolerance from childhood will persist into adulthood.
Cow's milk for the baby – yes or no?
Few things divide opinion as much as cow's milk. Should babies have it or rather not? What about allergies? Do babies and toddlers even need cow's milk? Does milk prevent cancer or does milk consumption even promote cancer?
One thing is certain: cow's milk has been quite demystified recently. While it used to be considered unconditionally healthy, it is viewed much more critically today.
Cow's milk as one of the biggest allergens
Cow's milk is one of the biggest allergens. This is because many people cannot tolerate the animal proteins or lactose it contains. By nature, cow's milk is not primarily intended to be drunk by humans, but by calves. In this respect, cow's milk allergy is no surprise from an evolutionary history perspective.
Precisely because cow's milk is such a major allergen, you should refrain from giving it to your baby in the first year of life.
Better to breastfeed
Breast milk is the most natural and digestible nutrition you can provide for your baby. Therefore, you should breastfeed your child for as long as possible. Nowadays, a breastfeeding period of one year is recommended. As long as your child receives breast milk, they logically do not need any other milk – not from cows, not from other mammals, and no plant-based substitute products.
Also with regard to possible allergies, breastfeeding is the best thing you can do.
Do children need cow's milk?
Recently, more and more doubts have been raised as to why cow's milk in particular should have a positive health effect on children. It is true: cow's milk contains a lot of calcium and vitamins as well as proteins. However, cow's milk today is no longer necessarily the natural product that many still consider it to be. During the production process, it is chemically treated and heated several times. And the need for calcium can also be met in ways other than through cow's milk. Alternatives are green vegetables, sesame, mineral water with calcium, nuts, etc. Furthermore, calcium cannot be utilized at all without an additional intake of vitamin D.
In addition, cow's milk contains significantly more protein than breast milk. In the long run, this can impair kidney function. And to top it all off, early consumption of too much cow's milk can promote a predisposition to obesity.
Cow's milk contains:
- Lots of protein and calcium as well as various vitamins
But on the other hand:
- Little vitamin A, C, and D (vitamin D is needed so that calcium can be utilized)
- Lots of fat and many calories
Plant-based alternatives for cow's milk are:
Soy drink
- Almost as high in protein as cow's milk
- Less fat, fewer carbohydrates
- More iron
- Should be fortified with calcium
- Gluten-free
- Only after the first year of life
Oat drink
- Only after the first year of life
- High-quality and environmentally friendly milk alternative
- Should be fortified with calcium
- Ideally without sugar and flavorings
- Low in protein, but high-quality proteins
- Low in fat, cholesterol-free, and rich in unsaturated fats
Rice drink
- Rather not suitable for children and babies as nutrients are missing
- Least likely to cause allergies
- Many carbohydrates
Almond drink
- High in protein
- Lots of fiber
- Similar amount of calcium as cow's milk
- High in fat
Soy milk for babies?
Unfortunately, it is not a good idea to switch to soy milk in the child's first year of life, as it is also an allergen. Once the first year is over, however, you can certainly give it a try.
Conclusion
Many children today suffer from allergies or intolerances. Your first step should be to determine whether it is an allergy with immediate symptoms or an intolerance where the symptoms only appear some time later.
If nutrition is the cause, you will have to strictly avoid the corresponding food in the future. The most widespread allergen is cow's milk. Therefore, it could be a good idea to avoid it even with preventive nutrition, especially since there are many alternatives today. The most obvious of these is breast milk, which – unlike cow's milk – is also designed exactly for the needs of human babies. Therefore, the best prevention against allergies and many other diseases is to breastfeed for as long as possible to provide your child with everything they need. But also in the further course of life, a healthy and balanced diet will contribute to your child enjoying good health.
