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As a parent, one of your main goals is to ensure that your child gets the nutrition that they need starting at a young age. This can be a difficult task in a world filled with sugary snacks and fast food but starting good habits from a young age is crucial if you hope to set your child up to have a healthy relationship with food as they grow up.
There is also a great deal of anxiety surrounding food from many parents as their babies begin to wean off of formula and enter the world of solid foods. Not only is choking a major concern for parents of infants and toddlers, but the thought that your child might have a food allergy that you don’t know about can make introducing certain foods nerve-wracking.
Most pediatricians agree that the earlier you introduce foods that are most commonly associated with allergies, such as strawberries and nuts, the less likely it will be for your child to develop an allergy later on in life.
Here are three of the more common food allergies in young children and babies for you to be aware of.
1. Nuts
Nuts are a tricky topic to approach as very young children, and babies’ reactions can be dangerous. Moreover, most people who have a nut allergy are only allergic to one type of nut. Peanuts are among the most common nut allergies seen in babies, with up to 2% of babies having an allergy or sensitivity to peanuts.
For the most part, unless a peanut allergy runs in the family, you most likely have nothing to worry about. However, you should know that peanuts are contained in more food products than you might think, making them hard to avoid. If your child has a peanut allergy, you need to ensure that you read all food packaging labels before purchasing them. You should also learn more about peanut butter alternatives – Beyond the Equator.
2. Milk
From the very first days, some form of milk is an essential component to every baby’s development. Whether you choose to formula feed or breastfeed, milk is an everyday part of your baby’s life. As your baby grows and enters into toddlerhood, cow’s milk replaces their first milk as an essential source of calcium and vitamin D. Therefore, discovering that your child is lactose intolerant can pose a difficult problem.
Thankfully, there are various options for lactose-free formula if your child shows signs of lactose intolerance early on and plenty of cow’s milk alternatives for the later stages in life.
3. Eggs
Another difficult allergy to cope with as your child grows is eggs. Eggs are contained in various foods, and depending on how severe your child’s allergy is, you might need to avoid them altogether. You can opt to bake with things like applesauce or mashed bananas if you need to avoid eggs in your house but still want them to enjoy a sweet treat now and then.