Early Detection of Allergies in Children

Health information reviewed and edited by dr. William

Allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, and cow's milk protein allergy are the most common cases of allergies in children. Detecting allergy symptoms as early as possible is important, so parents can take preventive steps in the future. How to recognize allergies in children early?

Prof. Dr. dr. Budi Setiabudiawan, Sp.A(K), M.Kes., Consultant for Child Allergy Immunology explained that, “Cow's milk allergy is one of the most common food allergies experienced by children in Asia. The incidence of cow's milk allergy in children in Indonesia is 0.5% - 7.5%. Although most children recover from symptoms when they leave the toddler period, this does not mean that this allergy can be ignored, "explained Prof. Budi in a webinar organized by Kalbe Nutritional in commemoration of World Allergy Week, 26 June 2021.

According to Prof. Budi, if an allergic condition is diagnosed early on and immediately consulted with a doctor, then appropriate management can be carried out so that the baby's growth and development is optimal.

On the other hand, if your child's allergies are diagnosed too late and parents self-diagnose, then unwanted effects can arise. For example, a child's growth and development is hampered because the intake of essential nutrients is hampered. In addition, allergies that are not handled can also pose a risk of degenerative diseases such as hypertension or heart disease in the future.

"Not to mention the economic impact of having to go to the doctor often, as well as the psychological impact because it can cause stress to the mother and child," said Prof. Budi.

Also read: Can Babies Have a Breast Milk Allergy?

Recognize Allergy Symptoms in Children in These Three Organs!

Symptoms that can occur if your child has a cow's milk allergy are very diverse. Cow's milk allergy can present with mild, moderate to severe symptoms, and can affect three organs. According to Prof. Budi, the most frequent occurrences are:

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  Gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhea as much as 53%. Gastrointestinal symptoms can lead to colic which afflicts 27% of children with allergies.

  
  
  
  


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  Symptoms in the respiratory tract for example, coughing at night towards the morning. The incidence of symptoms in the respiratory tract is asthma 21%, rhinitis 20%.

  
  


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  Symptoms on the skin mostly eczema or atopic dermatitis as much as 35%, while hives or urticaria by 18%.

  
  

In addition to these three organs, in rarer cases, cow's milk allergy can also cause severe symptoms in the form of severe systemic anaphylaxis in 11%.

Also read: If your little one is allergic to cow's milk, how to optimize growth and development?

Allergy Risk Factors

Risk factors for developing allergies in your child can come from genetic or hereditary factors, namely from families with a history of allergies. The case of cow's milk protein allergy generally occurs in children who do not get breast milk (ASI). Therefore, prevention of cow's milk protein allergy can be done by providing exclusive breastfeeding for children.

“If you are unable to breastfeed and your little one is allergic but the allergy symptoms have not yet appeared, then specially formulated milk such as milk with partial hydrolysis protein (PHP) can be given. However, if allergy symptoms appear, they can be treated with special medical nutrition, such as milk with extensively hydrolyzed protein, milk with soy protein isolate (soya) or amino acid milk," said Prof. Budi.

The importance of issues regarding allergies that are not handled properly due to lack of knowledge and parental concerns about allergies in their little ones. Well, Mums, to help detect your little one's allergies, you can take advantage of various health applications or ask your pediatrician directly!

Also read: Mums, Recognize 5 Foods That Often Trigger Allergies

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