Food allergy is when the body reacts to certain foods by an abnormal immune system reaction. Some reactions such as "hives" or a red skin rash, swelling of the tongue or lips, happens very quickly.
Other reactions include eczema, vomiting or constipation may be delayed. Reactions can range from mild to severe and there may be overlap between fast and delayed reactions.
Food intolerance happens in a more delayed way, often occurring hours or even days after eating certain foods.The immune system is not involved in this reaction, therefore it is not life threatening and cannot cause anaphylactic shock. Typical symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting.
Avoiding or reducing the intake of allergenic foods during pregnancy and breast feeding is not proven to prevent an infant from developing food allergies.
The ideal time for starting to introduce solid foods to an infant is after 17 weeks,(4 months) and before 26 weeks (6 months) based on the needs of the mother and child.
Less hypersensitivity has been demonstrated in infants who are weaned before 6 months but there is no ideal time on which all "experts" are agreed.
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label allergies. Show all posts
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Monday, 5 July 2010
Seasonal sensitivities and disordered breathing.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reports that approximately two percent of otherwise healthy young children have obstructive sleep apnea, a common form of SDB that occurs when soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway during sleep.
Most children with OSA have a history of snoring that tends to be loud, and may include obvious pauses in breathing, and gasps for breath. Parents often notice that the child seems to be working hard to breathe during sleep. The study involved a random sample of 687 children in grades K-5. Their parents completed a brief questionnaire, and each child was evaluated between June and November during an overnight sleep study in the sleep laboratory. Mild sleep-disordered breathing was defined as having an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of one to five breathing pauses per hour of sleep.
The most surprising thing about this study was the difference in the children's breathing during sleep, over the summer and autumn. Disordered breathing was increased over June to September and decreased from September through November. This highlights the importance of the need to be aware of the childs seasonal ensitivities and allergic reactions.
In the June 2009 issue of the journal SLEEP, Bixler and his research team reported that nasal problems such as chronic sinusitis and rhinitis are significant risk factors for mild sleep-disordered breathing in children. However, the extent to which allergies may promote a seasonal variation in sleep-disordered breathing still needs to be determined.
Most children with OSA have a history of snoring that tends to be loud, and may include obvious pauses in breathing, and gasps for breath. Parents often notice that the child seems to be working hard to breathe during sleep. The study involved a random sample of 687 children in grades K-5. Their parents completed a brief questionnaire, and each child was evaluated between June and November during an overnight sleep study in the sleep laboratory. Mild sleep-disordered breathing was defined as having an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of one to five breathing pauses per hour of sleep.
The most surprising thing about this study was the difference in the children's breathing during sleep, over the summer and autumn. Disordered breathing was increased over June to September and decreased from September through November. This highlights the importance of the need to be aware of the childs seasonal ensitivities and allergic reactions.
In the June 2009 issue of the journal SLEEP, Bixler and his research team reported that nasal problems such as chronic sinusitis and rhinitis are significant risk factors for mild sleep-disordered breathing in children. However, the extent to which allergies may promote a seasonal variation in sleep-disordered breathing still needs to be determined.
These findings impact on the medical and drug treatments which are used to treat children who experience disordered breathing during sleep.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Insomnia
Insomnia is defined as a difficulty falling asleep, and/or maintaining sleep and includes early morning awakenings. In many cases this is secondary to another sleep or medical disorder. In contrast Primary Insomnia is accompanied by learned sleep preventing or delaying assocciations and physiological arousal resulting in complaints of sleeplessness and decreased daytime functioning.
To date no studies have been done to look at how often this occurs in children of school age or in adolescents. About 12-13% of adolescents report that they are poor sleepers. This appears to be slightly more common in women than in men. Although there are a number of theories about the causes of insomnia no conclusive evidence supports any particular theory.
It is widely recognised that genetics may play a part and that stress, obsessive thinking styles, poor sleep habits and caffine intake, exacerbate the problem.
Difficulties in falling asleep can be related to medical problems such as asthma, allergies, headaches and physical discomfort. Some medications cause insomnia as a side effect.
Fortunately there are a variety of treatments which are effective without resorting to medication. Research has not been conducted on the long term outcome of insomnia in children and adolescents but certain personality traits make it likely that affected individuals are more likely to experience recurrant problems. The learned nature of this disorder makes it more likely to persist if it is not treated.
If you think this applies to your children contact Dream-Angus for support and advice.
To date no studies have been done to look at how often this occurs in children of school age or in adolescents. About 12-13% of adolescents report that they are poor sleepers. This appears to be slightly more common in women than in men. Although there are a number of theories about the causes of insomnia no conclusive evidence supports any particular theory.
It is widely recognised that genetics may play a part and that stress, obsessive thinking styles, poor sleep habits and caffine intake, exacerbate the problem.
Difficulties in falling asleep can be related to medical problems such as asthma, allergies, headaches and physical discomfort. Some medications cause insomnia as a side effect.
Fortunately there are a variety of treatments which are effective without resorting to medication. Research has not been conducted on the long term outcome of insomnia in children and adolescents but certain personality traits make it likely that affected individuals are more likely to experience recurrant problems. The learned nature of this disorder makes it more likely to persist if it is not treated.
If you think this applies to your children contact Dream-Angus for support and advice.
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