It is reassuring to know that there is hypoallergenic baby formula available for those who need it. How do you know if your baby is one of them?
What Kind of Allergies Can Babies Have?
Babies can have allergies just like you. In fact, their allergies can be caused by genetics as well as environment. Childhood allergies can be categorized as atopic diseases. Atopic diseases that occur in childhood include asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dematitis.
An infant with asthmatic episodes may be inflicted with a virus. One baby may be wheezing while another infant may have chronic coughing.
Allergic rhinitis are like an adult's seasonal allergies. This includes watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing and coughing.
Atopic dermatitis is very common and may be better known as eczema. Babies are susceptible to red, itchy patches on their skin, especially if someone in the family has already been diagnosed with the skin rash.
Who Needs Hypoallergenic Baby Formula?
Even though some of these allergic reactions can be triggered by the environment, some babies have their allergic reactions due to something they eat. They are sensitive to ingredients as well as additives. For this reason, an organic diet which includes baby formula that is free of pesticides, GMOs, additives, and synthetic ingredients is a better choice for infants with atopic diseases
Hypoallergenic formula is strongly suggested for children who have symptoms of milk protein intolerance. This is when your baby's antibodies attack cow's milk protein during infancy. Those symptoms are:
- feeding intolerance such as gas, fussiness, diarrhea
- eczema
- wheezing
- blood in stool
Out of all of the babies, about 2-3 percent of infants are diagnosed with a milk protein allergy. Most babies will grow out of the intolerance by the time they switch to whole milk at the age of 1.
Before you change your baby's formula to a hypoallergenic formula version such as Hipp HA Combiotic or Holle's Goat Milk formula as a cow's milk alternative, be sure to consult with your pediatrician. Fussiness can be a symptom of many different issues, so it is important that both of you are on the same page.
