At the baby
Babies suffer more often from food intolerances than adults. However, in almost 90% of children, the problems grow together during their development. In the case of an intolerance, symptoms only appear some time after consumption and are not life-threatening.
If there is a food allergy, this can lead to an allergic reaction that can be dangerous for the child. Food intolerances occur particularly in early childhood. Parents can prevent the symptoms by specific diets, but must ensure that the diet is balanced with other foods so that the child does not receive any nutrients.Intolerances of eggs, cow’s milk and dairy products, wheat products and gluten-containing foods, nuts and fish (including seafood) are particularly common.
Babies are not yet able to express the symptoms and therefore cry in response to flatulence and abdominal pain. Signs that parents should notice and interpret are diarrhoea and vomiting as well as skin reactions such as redness or itching. If the symptoms are extreme, an allergic reaction must first be expected, which requires immediate emergency medical treatment.
Testing for food intolerances and food allergies can be done in the same way as for adult patients. If coeliac disease is suspected – the disease has a peak of manifestation in infancy – further blood tests can be performed to check the activity of the immune system against the intestinal wall. However, celiac disease is not a food intolerance, but a serious disease that can have serious health consequences for the patient if the gluten diet is not followed.
