With the increase in childhood allergies, it is a natural response for the parents to acquire information on how to properly protect and care for the child in the best possible way.
How allergies develop
Among non-allergic individuals, the immune system effectively ignores various substances such as food proteins, pollen or house dust mite. Nevertheless, among those who have allergies, the immune system identifies these substances as a threat and generates an erroneous response against them.
Category of allergies
Allergies are categorized into IgE mediated and non-IgE mediated allergies.
IgE mediated allergies
The immune system produces IgE antibodies precisely for that specific allergen. The antibodies signal the basophils and mast cells to be on the lookout for the substance in the future. This is known as sensitization and at this stage; there are no physical symptoms of an allergy.
The next encounter with the same allergen will identify it as a threat and generate histamine and other chemicals. These chemicals are responsible for triggering the allergy symptoms.
Non-IgE mediated allergies
The immune system can still react to allergens without the production of the IgE antibody. In this allergy, multiple cells erroneously react to the presence of an allergen and can trigger most of the symptoms just like with allergies mediated by the IgE antibodies.
The moment an allergy has been identified, the ideal method is to minimize contact with the allergen which reduces the possibility of triggering the symptoms. Since children still have developing immune systems, it is best to minimize exposure to these substances which are the usual causes of allergy.
Important considerations to bear in mind
A vital advice for pregnant women is to take good care of their general health and to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Diet
Pregnant women should take into consideration the importance of a nutritious diet. It is important to note that avoiding potential food allergens during pregnancy could not reduce the risk of allergic disease.
Take note that peanut allergy has been an issue of concern since the number of children with this allergy has increased. Even though research has been conducted on this area, there is still no evidence that any childhood allergy is triggered by eating “wrong” foods that exposes the unborn child to allergens.
Many doctors discourage mothers from avoiding potential allergens due to the absence of evidence and the risk that by doing so, mothers will put them at risk as well as the unborn child to a diet that lacks the essential nutrients.
Smoking
Smoking while pregnant can cause a number of health risks to the unborn child. There are various chemicals produced from smoking a cigarette. Take note that these chemicals travel into the body and carbon dioxide travels into the bloodstream and disrupts the oxygen that reaches the unborn child.
When it comes to allergy, several studies reveal that babies are more likely to develop wheezy breathing and asthma if their mothers were smoking while pregnant.