Some children sail through childhood without food allergies and eating almost anything you put in front of them. Others seem to be sensitive to everything and have allergic reactions to new foods. Some of these reactions can be drastic, causing hives and breathing problems, leading to a trip to the emergency room. Although children usually outgrow food allergies, these reactions can be scary for both parents and caregivers. Some food allergies are easy to spot while others are more difficult to diagnose.
Reactions can include everything from difficulty breathing to behavior and sleep problems.
Allergies are an immune response and usually begin to show themselves within minutes or longer of eating and almost always make an appearance within two hours of eating the allergic substance. Although most foods can cause allergic reactions in some people, the most common problem foods include tree nuts, shellfish, peanuts, milk and eggs. Diagnosing food allergies can be complicated because some allergies are actually food intolerances. These intolerances do not involve an immune system response and cause problems like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The major difference between a food allergy and food intolerance is that with an intolerance, small amounts of the offending food can be eaten without adverse reactions.