I’m certain that everyone would agree with me when I say, food is one of life’s greatest pleasures. The main reason why we eat is because our bodies need food for its survival. We cannot live without food and it is every organism’s basic need. Food is one of the 3 essential components of life itself, with oxygen and water being the other 2. Even before we were born, when we were still inside our mother’s womb, we already started eating. The placenta which is one of the products of conception provided the much needed nourishment essential for every developing fetus. Once we’re born, the first food we ever have is our mother’s milk. As we begin to grow, our food choices and options also grow with it. We start with soft baby food, milk and dairy products, followed by vegetables, fruits and cereals, then fish, meat and poultry. Eating would eventually become one of the greatest experiences and adventures of life, influenced by culture, food preferences and food allergies. Our body is as equally as varied as the types of food available in the world. We can tolerate some food items, but some of them can make us feel sick. These foods might even cause rashes to appear on our skin, swellings to show on our faces and breathing difficulties to manifest. All of these are a result from an allergic reaction.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately 3 million children in the United States of America, under the age of 18 suffer from food allergies. This incidence has increased by 18% since 1997.  Among these children, food allergies are highest on the 0-5 age group in both males and females. Food allergies manifest symptoms which include itchy skin rashes, wheezing, difficulty breathing, nausea, nasal symptom, vomiting, diarrhea and swelling around the mouth and throat. These symptoms usually develop a few minutes or hours after ingestion. Allergic reactions might vary from mild, moderate to severe depending on the amount ingested and how allergic the child is to the food. Severe reactions also called anaphylaxis can be life threatening and needs to be treated right away. To prevent food allergies, simply avoid the food that causes them. For children, to determine the foods their allergic to, observe for any allergic symptoms or reactions that might occur after coming in contact with certain food items. In some cases, allergic reactions do not show after a single exposure, it might take several contacts with the allergen for symptoms to develop. Aside from observing which food causes allergies, the child’s pediatrician or an allergy specialist can perform a RAST (radioallergosorbent) test, to check for specific allergies found in the blood. The most common food items, many children are allergic to include the following, milk which is also found in children who have milk intolerance, egg either to the white, yolk or both, soy products, wheat, peanuts, and seafood.

Majority of children who have food allergies tend to “grow-out” of their allergies when they reach their teenage years.