As a parent, I am always concerned about the health and well-being of my children, and allergies are no exception. When I came across the article “Six Surprising Truths About Kids & Allergies,” I was intrigued to learn more about what really causes allergies in children and how best to treat them.
One surprising fact I learned from the article is that infants don’t get seasonal allergies. According to Dr. Kanwaljit Brar from the Pediatric Allergy Program at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, babies and toddlers are unlikely to have seasonal allergies because they haven’t had enough exposure to pollen. This information is reassuring for new parents who may be worried about their baby’s runny nose or stuffy nose during the allergy season.
Another surprising truth I learned is that an itchy mouth could be a sign of a pollen allergy. If my child complains of an itchy mouth or throat after eating certain fruits or vegetables, it could be a sign of pollen food allergy syndrome or oral allergy syndrome. I did not know that some fruits and vegetables have proteins that are like tree, grass, and weed pollens and can trigger allergic reactions in children with seasonal allergies.
As a parent of a child with severe eczema, I was also interested in learning that severe eczema and food allergy risk are linked. According to Dr. Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, director of the Pediatric Allergy Program, infants with severe eczema can test positive for food allergies even before they eat solid foods. This information is relevant for parents like me who have a child with severe eczema and want to reduce their child’s risk of developing food allergies.
The article also highlights the importance of family history in determining a child’s risk of developing allergies. As someone who has allergies myself, I wasn’t surprised to learn that having a first-degree relative with allergies significantly increases a child’s risk of developing allergies as well.
Overall, the article has provided me with valuable information about allergies in children that I was previously unaware of. As a parent, it is important for me to be informed about my child’s health and to know how to best care for them. Thanks to the Pediatric Allergy Program at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital and the information provided in this article, I feel better equipped to manage my child’s allergies and ensure their overall health and well-being.