Food Allergies & Intolerances for Children

As a clinic with a special interest in gut health, we often get asked about food allergies and intolerances. We asked our Children’s Health Naturopath, Ashlee Yates, to help answer some of your questions.

How can I tell if my child has an allergy or an intolerance?

Food allergies cause symptoms very soon after eating the tiniest amount of the triggering food, as it stimulates an immune reaction. By comparison, the symptoms of food intolerances result from a wide range of chemical reactions that occur anywhere from a few hours to a few days after exposure.

What are the symptoms of food intolerances in children?

• Headaches and migraines

• Tummy pains, nausea, vomiting

• Diarrhoea

• Constipation

• Itching, inflamed skin

• Runny nose

What are the symptoms of food allergies in children?

• Anxiety, tremor, sweating

• Palpitations

• Itching, burning and swelling around mouth, eyes and/or throat

• Treatment-resistant eczema

• Hives

• Contact rash/dermatitis

• Breathing difficulties, cough, asthma

Food intolerances or hypersensitivities are not life-threatening, but the symptoms can be severe and very distressing. Around 1 in 10 infants and 1 in 20 children have food allergies. 60% of these children will start showing symptoms within their first year of life.

How to tell the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?

It can be difficult to tell the difference between a mild food allergy and a food intolerance, as the symptoms can sometimes be very similar. However, as food intolerances do not involve IgE-mediated immune responses, they do not show up on allergy testing. Just because a child has been cleared of having an allergy does not necessarily mean that they’re not intolerant.

What is the best treatment for food allergies and intolerances?

The simplest way to treat an allergy or intolerance is to remove it from the diet or environment. After the body has had time to rest and recover, if it is safe to do so, there is the option of beginning the process of reintroduction. Along with tummy and immune support, specific probiotic therapy can help reduce the severity of reactivity. Working to build tolerance is most effective when the cause of the reaction is reintroduced in small amounts, and very gradually increased.

Can you overcome a food allergy?

Immune, gut, microbiome and digestion support, alongside elimination and gradual reintroduction, can support this process of building tolerance. Alongside providing effective symptom relief, we support the underlying body systems, tissues and organs involved in the reactive process. We want to do everything we can to relieve the negative effects that can result from allergies and intolerances.

We recommend working with a practitioner when reintroducing foods. Never reintroduce foods that are known to cause severe symptoms such as anaphylaxis or breathing difficulties.

If you or your child does experience life-threatening allergy symptoms, call 000 and seek medical treatment immediately.