Food allergies can be difficult for parents and caregivers to assess. Your child may not be able to explain when he or she is having a reaction to something they have eaten. It is important to understand when food allergies may be present, and what you need to do to monitor an allergy-prone child, even when they are out of your sight.
Buy quality food products to help avoid problems, avoiding processed food as often as possible. Allergies have become more prevalent over time as food sources have changed or become compromised.
Likely Culprits of Food Allergies
- Peanuts and tree nuts including walnuts, almonds, cashews and pistachios
- Cow milk
- Eggs
- Fish and shellfish
- Soy
- Wheat
Food Allergy Symptoms
If your child is allergic to a food it can affect breathing, intestinal tract, heart and skin. If a child has a food allergy, he or she will develop one or more of the following symptoms within minutes or up to one hour after eating a particular food:
- Congestion and runny nose
- Cough or wheezing
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Itching around mouth or ears
- Nausea or vomiting
- Hives or rash
- Sneezing
- Stomach pain
- Strange taste in mouth
- Swelling of lips, tongue, or face
Enroll Your Child
Make sure you have educated your child who has a food allergy about what foods cannot be safely eaten. Make sure children know how to read food labels. And when in doubt, make sure they know to “pass” on eating anything questionable.
Communicate with Caregivers
Make sure any adult who is caring for your child when you are not present knows about their allergies and how to prevent, recognize and treat anaphylaxis.
Keeping Halloween Safe
Here is good information on how to keep your kids safe at Halloween – a particularly concerning time when kids have access to more treats than usual. This information from Kids With Food Allergies also covers costume safety and medical items that should be on hand by adults who are supervising these seasonal activities.
Make an appointment to talk with one of our pediatricians today about childhood food allergies. If you have the tools and information you can prevent a potentially life-threatening reaction. Our pediatricians are here to help you help your children.
As part of Miami’s inner-city community, we are committed to the people we serve. We want to level the playing field medically for the kids of our community by giving them a chance to feel good mentally and physically. Bring your children to our walk-in clinic at Family Medical Clinic Kendall for primary care appointments. We consider every patient a member of our extended family and enjoy serving generations of families at our practice. Our commitment to you begins the moment you step into our office. Located at 9000 SW 137th Avenue, Suite 111, in Miami, we offer a walk-in clinic, urgent care and a lab & diagnostics. Call us today (305) 603-7824.