Food Allergies


Having food allergies is not fun and can be very frustrating for children and parents.

What are food allergies?

Food allergies are when a child eats a food that makes them sick, usually every time.

How do you know if your child might have a food allergy?

Swelling to lips, tongue and mouth
Vomiting or diarrhea
Rash all over the body
Trouble breathing
Sore throat
Cough
Runny nose

What can you do at home?

Read food labels to find out the ingredients and if it has anything in it that makes your child sick, don’t feed it to them.
When starting new foods, give your baby one food at a time. This way you can tell what is making them sick.

When do I need help?

Call 911 if your child is having trouble breathing or if they have swelling around the mouth that is getting worse.
If your child is getting sick from many foods, they should be seen by a doctor.

What else should I know?

Breastfed babies usually have fewer allergies.
When children have food allergies they can get sicker every time they eat that food.
Toddlers are often able to eat foods they couldn’t tolerate when they were younger, but some kids get sick from the same foods their whole life.

Common food allergies are:

Milk
Eggs
Soy wheat
Citrus
Fish
Nuts

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