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Food allergies Updated 01 Jun 2010

Prevention and treatment

Prevention

There's no strong scientific evidence that you can prevent food allergies by restricting your child's diet early on. But it may be possible to delay the onset in susceptible children.

Breastfeeding has been shown to protect against allergies. When allergies run in the family, it's recommended that mothers use only breast milk until the child is at least six months old.

You may also want to delay the introduction of dairy products, eggs, and wheat for at least one year - and tree nuts and fish for three years - if there's a family history of allergy. And if the allergy is peanuts, avoid these until the child's at least three years old.

Treatment

The most effective way to avoid an allergic or intolerant reaction is to cut out the food altogether. Make sure you talk to a doctor or dietitian about identifying the food that's causing the reaction - and get advice so that you don't miss out any essential nutrients from your diet.

If the allergen causes a severe reaction, it may put the whole body into shock. This is called anaphylaxis, and it needs urgent medical attention. People with severe allergies are advised to carry an adrenaline injection (which reverses the effects of anaphylaxis) and seek emergency medical attention. Anaphylaxis is uncommon with the first exposure to a food allergen; it usually occurs after you have been sensitised to an allergen.