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According to research data, today almost half of the world's population suffers from various kinds of allergies. Scientists associate such a global spread of the disease with many factors: the increasingly unfavorable environmental situation on the planet, food production using synthetic additives (flavors, preservatives, dyes, stabilizers), GMOs, the widespread use of antibiotics in animal husbandry and chemical additives in agriculture. The worst thing is that our children are most prone to allergies. One of the methods to make life easier for small allergies is a hypoallergenic diet for children.
Signs of illness
The most common symptom of an allergic reaction in children is diathesis - atopic dermatitis that affects the skin in the cheeks, arms, legs, scalp, and groin. The baby's cheeks turn red, peel off, a rash, cracks, and weeping areas appear. In addition, the child shows obvious anxiety, combing the affected areas. In addition to diathesis, skin manifestations of allergies can be: rash, blisters, itchy spots on any part of the skin, Quincke's edema .
Allergies in children of the first year of life can pretend to be digestive problems: diarrhea, increased gas formation, colic, frequent regurgitation, the presence of green mucus in the feces.
In older children, along with skin manifestations, weakness, dizziness, vomiting, rhinitis, lacrimation, and dry cough may occur.
The need for a diet
Children's allergies are different from allergies in adults. For example, food intolerance in young children occurs due to the immaturity of the digestive system, which is simply not able to fully process some food components (especially animal proteins). However, gradually the body gets stronger, adapts and, often, by the age of 5-6 years of a child's life, intolerance disappears on its own.
On the other hand, if the signs of an allergy are ignored, it can become chronic and lead to serious consequences.
A hypoallergenic diet for children is recommended not only in case of food allergies (when a certain type of product must be excluded from the diet), it is also used in the complex therapy of the disease to normalize digestion and reduce the overall burden on the child's body.
Principles of a hypoallergenic diet
The main goal of a hypoallergenic diet is to identify the food that causes an immune response. Even when the allergen is known, there may be a cross-reaction to other foods.
Basic principles of a hypoallergenic diet:
- If the allergen is known, it should be eliminated completely.
- If the provocateur is yet to be identified, the set of products is adjusted according to the degree of their potential allergenicity (see below).
- Cooking method: boiling, stewing, steaming, baking. Fried and fatty foods are not allowed.
- Food should be fractional (5-6 times a day in small portions).
- Vegetables must be soaked in water for about 2 hours before cooking, potatoes for at least 12 hours.
- Boil meat soups on the second broth (the first broth merges).
- Drink plenty of fluids (at least 6 glasses a day). Allowed drinks: weak tea without sugar, clean drinking water.
- Dishes should be as simple as possible, with a minimum set of ingredients.
- If the child is breastfed, the mother must follow the diet.
A hypoallergenic diet for children involves keeping a food diary, in which it should be accurately recorded what, when and how much the child consumed. There should also be signs of an allergic reaction.
Highly allergenic products
Products with a high degree of allergenicity should be completely excluded from the child's diet:
- chicken eggs , chicken meat;
- chocolate , cocoa;
- cow's milk , beef, veal, beef liver;
- nuts and peanuts;
- honey;
- strong meat broths, fatty meats;
- fish, caviar;
- seafood;
- mushrooms;
- all kinds of citrus fruits;
- fruits and vegetables with bright colors (red, orange, yellow);
- sugar, baking, confectionery;
- smoked and canned food;
- pickles, marinades, spices;
- mayonnaises, ketchups, sauces.
A hypoallergenic diet for children requires imagination and ingenuity, because the list of prohibited foods is quite large, but it is worth noting that usually children tolerate dietary restrictions well.
Foods to be consumed with caution (moderately allergenic)
Products with an average degree of allergenicity:
- cereals: wheat (including semolina), rye, buckwheat, corn;
- legumes;
- potato;
- pasta;
- green bell pepper;
- apricots, peaches, cranberries, currants;
- herbal teas and herbal decoctions.
Allowed products (low allergenic)
The basis of the child's diet with a hypoallergenic diet is low-allergenic foods:
- fermented milk products: kefir, fermented baked milk, sour cream, melted butter, natural yoghurts without additives;
- lean meat;
- mild, lightly salted cheeses;
- cereals: oatmeal, rice, barley, millet;
- refined vegetable oils: sunflower, olive;
- vegetables: all kinds of cabbage and salads, zucchini, squash, green peas, cucumbers, dill and parsley, green beans, turnips, spinach, rutabaga;
- fruits and berries: green apples, pears, gooseberries, white currants, yellow plums;
- bran bread in small quantities;
- pasta made from rice and buckwheat flour.
As you can see, the list of allowed products is also not small and quite allows you to create a full-fledged menu. However, some nutrient deficiencies are still present. This fact does not allow the use of a hypoallergenic diet for a long time.
Diet duration
A hypoallergenic diet for children in a strict version (when only low-allergenic foods are present in the diet) should not exceed two weeks. During this period, remission usually occurs. Then you can begin the gradual introduction of products with an average degree of allergenicity into the menu (strictly one at a time, several products cannot be introduced at once). Each new species is introduced in small quantities and the reaction to it is carefully recorded in the food diary. If no allergy occurs within 3-4 days, you can proceed with the introduction of the next product. If the immune system has responded, the product is excluded and the next attempt at administration is possible no earlier than in a month. Adding another product - only after the normalization of the child's condition.
The ideal option is when the menu for a small patient is compiled and corrected by a dietitian, and the whole process is controlled by a pediatrician.
