In general 4% to 8% of all children have a food allergy. 90% of these allergies are from the big 7: Milk, Eggs, Soy, Wheat, Peanut, Tree Nut, and Seafood. Around 70% of children grow out of their food allergies before age 5. These foods should be avoided before the age of 1. Of the 350 million people in America only 100 die each year of food allergies. Although food allergies are not much of a death risk, the connection to Asthma and several other diseases suggest parents should take allergies with appropriate concern. However the awareness of food allergies has generated many false concerns and has in some cases led to malnourishment. 25% of Americans think they have a food allergy. Only 2% actually have a food allergy. Excessive food cost on special foods and malnourishment due to avoiding safe/healthy foods unnecessarily has become a concern amongst physicians.
Introduce your child to a variety of foods but give them 3 to 5 days between foods to see if they have a reaction. In young children, the immune system may not be strong enough to have a reaction. Avoiding the Big 7 before the age of 1 gives your child the chance to develop a proper immune system so that food allergies do not go unnoticed. Also just because they have a reaction doesn't mean they have a food allergy. Food intolerance is not a food allergy and not deadly. Food allergies are typically immediate. Food intolerance usually takes 4 hours to several days before a reaction develops.
It has been rumored that a child's preferences is a sign of food allergies. I could not find a single source that agreed with this sentiment. Our children's preferences are affected by their mother's diet before birth and their introduction to food after birth. Children also imitate the behaviors of their caretakers. If you are a picky eater your child will likely mimic your behavior. Genetic preferences have been shown to have less impact than cultural or environmental factors.
Persistence and consistency seem to be the prevailing argument to get your children to eat healthy. Poor nutrition is a much greater concern than food allergies. Be aware of the signs of food allergies but do not avoid foods after 6 months even with a family history of food allergies. Very few people are allergic to more than 4 foods. A diverse diet can easy be developed with proper observation and consulting your physician.
I found some common advice between websites. Presentation and perception can be wielded to our advantage. Using 'sometimes' and 'anytime' foods are preferred to 'good' or 'bad'. Do not use food as rewards. Be careful not to deny foods! Many times total denial may increase a food preference to undesirable foods such as junk food. Sugar plays a major role in preference development. Some sites have even suggested using bitter foods at an early age to develop healthy preferences.
Although TV is discouraged as a dining experience because of the tendency to over eat. Personally, we went through a time that the only time I allowed Aria to watch TV was while she ate. If she refused to eat, I turned off the TV. Of course she immediately ate what she had previously refused. In 2 short months, Aria will now eat anything I put in front of her. Suggestions are not absolutes. You are the parent. Try different techniques. Watch your children's reactions a find out how to mold their preferences into a healthy and diverse diet.
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Babies (when fed foods with certain flavors) responded differently to the flavors of foods eaten by their mothers during pregnancy, suggesting that a child’s taste preference can be influenced even before she is born.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/107/6/e88.pdf
Research in a 2004 study found that in utero exposure to different flavors may affect food preferences after birth. This study involved four groups of formula-fed babies. One group was fed a traditional cow’s milk based formula; a second group was given an unpleasant tasting predigested formula; the remaining groups were fed a combination of the cow’s milk based formula for three months and the predigested formula for four months. After seven months the babies were videotaped on three separate days while feeding on the different formulas. Results showed that the longer the exposure to a specific flavor, the greater the acceptance of the flavor. This supports the theory that exposure to different flavors—whether via amniotic fluid, breast milk, or formula—may affect individual food and flavor preferences.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1351274/
The extent to which flavor preferences are genetically predetermined was the topic of a 2005 study. A total of 143 pairs of mothers and their babies were screened for the presence of a taste receptor gene associated with bitter and sweet tastes. The results showed that the presence of the gene was associated with taste preferences in children, but the same was not true for adults, which suggests that cultural and environmental factors can override genetically determined preferences.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2268898/
When two groups of 4- to 8-month-old infants (44 percent of whom were breastfed) were given either green beans alone, or green beans followed by peaches, the food was more likely to be accepted if the breastfeeding mother ate the food regularly. On the contrary, when the formula feeding mothers ate more green beans, there was no difference in their infants’ acceptance of the vegetable. However, repeated exposure to a food did result in greater acceptance in both the breastfed and bottle-fed children. These findings highlight the need for parents to continue to offer babies healthy foods, even though the foods may not be well received at first.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1397914/
Healthy foods:
•fruits and vegetables •fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products •lean meats, poultry, and fish •beans and nuts •eggs •whole grain cereals and rice
Nutrient-dense foods:
•avocados •broccoli •brown rice and other grains •cheese •eggs •fish •kidney beans •pasta •peanut butter •potatoes •poultry •squash •sweet potatoes •tofu •yogurt.
There is no need to restrict foods beyond six months, even in children with a family history of food allergies. Parents are advised to introduce new foods one at a time (ideally in the early part of the day, just in case a child has an allergic reaction), and to wait 3-5 days in between.
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;121/1/183
Eating a healthy diet during pregnancy and while breastfeeding may be beneficial in the short-term, but it’s the foods that parents and caregivers offer day in and day out that kids wind up preferring.
Tips for keeping kids healthy and fit:
•Set a good example by eating healthy foods yourself. •Be patient but persistent. Commit to offering your child a new food at least 10 times. •Make fresh fruits and vegetables readily available (cleaned, peeled, cut). Children are more likely to eat healthy foods when they can see them. •Avoid sweetened drinks including sweetened fruit juices, which play a major role in shaping kids’ tastes for sweets. •Buy fewer high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. But allow kids to have “junk food” occasionally. Denying access to a particular food may actually increase rather than decrease a food preference. •Teach your children about “sometime” foods and “anytime” foods. Avoid labeling foods as “good” or ”bad.” •Don’t use food as a reward. Find another way to reward good behavior. •Insist on healthy foods in school cafeterias and vending machines. •Discourage eating meals or snacks while watching TV. Children (and adults) are less likely to pay attention to feelings of fullness and more likely to overeat. •Limit the amount of time your child spends watching TV, playing video games, and using a computer. •Exercise together regularly. Walk, bike, swim, dance, or garden—anything that keeps you active!
http://www.babygooroo.com/index.php/2010/06/14/can-you-make-your-baby-like-vegetables/
True food allergies are not as common as most people believe and only affect about 2% of children, although they are more common in younger children (affecting about 5-8% of younger children). And fortunately, most younger children will outgrow these food allergies by the time they are three years old. . .Cow's milk is the most common cause of food allergies. . .Eggs, especially the proteins in egg whites are also a common cause of food allergies. To help prevent allergies to eggs, it is a good idea to avoid giving egg whites to infants under a year old. . . Soybean allergies are usually found in infants given a soy formula, but can also be found in older children who drink soy milk. . .Wheat allergy can develop in infants given a wheat cereal, and is probably best to offer a rice or oat cereal first and delay giving wheat until after your child is 6-8 months old.
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/commonproblems/food_allergies.html
Allergy to egg, milk, soy, wheat, peanut and tree nuts represents 90% of all food allergies in children.
1 Milk: 2.5% of infants: 85% of children will outgrow milk allergy by age 16
2 Eggs: 2.5%: 68% of egg allergy is outgrown by age 16
3 Soy: .3%: Usually outgrown at a young age, and rarely causes life-threatening reactions.
4 Wheat: .5% commonly outgrown at an early age
5 Peanut: .5% to 1.2% of children: Approximately 20% of children outgrow it by age 6.
6 Tree nut: .5% to 1.2% of the population. Approximately 9% of children outgrow tree nut allergy by age 6.
7 Sea Food: 2.3%: Seldom outgrown
http://allergies.about.com/od/foodallergies/tp/topfoodallergyc.htm
http://www.aaaai.org/media/statistics/allergy-statistics.asp
http://www.foodintol.com/wheat.asp
Although 25 percent of people think they're allergic to certain foods, studies show that about only 6 percent of children and 2 percent of adults have a food allergy. A true food allergy is a reaction triggered by the immune system (the part of your body that fights infection). Far more people simply have a food intolerance, which is unpleasant symptoms triggered by food (but does not involve the immune system) . . . Although people can be allergic to any kind of food, most food allergies are caused by tree nuts, peanuts, cow's milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish . . . Most people with food allergies are allergic to fewer than 4 foods. . . Natural foods cause the most allergic reactions . . . Children usually outgrow allergies to milk, eggs, soybean products and wheat. However, people rarely outgrow allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/allergies/basics/340.html
Doctors say that misdiagnosed food allergies appear to be on the rise, and countless families are needlessly avoiding certain foods and spending hundreds of dollars on costly nonallergenic supplements. In extreme cases, misdiagnosed allergies have put children at risk for malnutrition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/health/03well.html
Just because someone shows sensitivity to a certain food allergen does not mean that person will have an allergic reaction to eating that food.
http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/the-squishy-science-of-food-allergies/?scp=2&sq=food%20allergies%20children&st=cse
Deaths from Food allergies: approximately 100 Americans, usually children (NIAID)
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/f/food_allergies/stats.htm
A food allergy is a response of the immune system, while a food intolerance is a response of the digestive system. The symptoms of a food allergy appear within only a few minutes and can be dramatic and even cause deadly anaphylaxis, even if only a small amount of the food is eaten. The symptoms of food intolerance appear hours or days after eating the food.
http://www.suite101.com/content/food-allergy-and-food-intolerance--whats-the-difference-a240945
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