Updated article : October, 2023.

Food intolerances and allergies are increasingly hot topics. There’s no denying how many parents worry about potential allergy symptoms in their baby. But beware of self-diagnosis! It’s not uncommon for parents to compare their situation with other families, except that the reality is that every child is different, and a professional’s overall assessment of an infant may be quite different in the end, and recommendations may also vary as a result.

For babies fed commercial formulas, how many parents change milk formulas several times without knowing if their baby’s symptoms are really associated with food intolerance or allergies? How many breastfeeding moms think that their milk isn’t good for their baby? Too many!

In this entry:

• Allergy types
• Diet to prevent allergies?
• Lactose intolerance or allergy
• What’s a food allergy?
• Origins of food allergies
• Signs of a food allergy
• What to do following an allergic reaction?

Allergy Types

Two types of allergies exist—more acute types and more chronic types. Each person is different, so it’s unclear what quantities need to be absorbed or how frequently to provoke an intolerance or allergic reaction.

Acute Types

The acute form is better defined but less frequent. The baby can react within four hours after consuming milk. This allergy provokes automatic vomiting, sometimes diarrhea with mucus and possibly blood in their stool. However, before concluding an allergy in similar cases, according to the paediatrician Dr. Jack Newman, you have to examine your baby as a whole. Ensure that lower milk production isn’t the cause of the blood and mucus in the baby’s stool. You will notice this if you increase your breastfeeding frequency and the blood and/or mucus disappear. If this is the case, you have your answer.

Chronic Types

The chronic type is more frequent but less clear, with clinically vague symptoms. When you eliminate the allergen or sensitivity for 2–3 weeks and the baby’s symptoms disappear, this is a more chronic type of allergy.

First, few acute allergies to breast milk exist. A baby fed with their mother’s milk for the first four months of life has a much lower risk of developing allergies throughout their lives. This milk is better adapted to the baby’s immature gastrointestinal system because it’s easy to digest and absorb.

To continue reading, please go to the next entry – Diet to Prevent Allergies?