Food Intolerance vs Food Allergies!
When your child has a physical reaction to a particular type of food, you would normally conclude that it’s due to a food allergy your child is having.
When your child has a physical reaction to a particular type of food, you would normally conclude that it’s due to a food allergy your child is having. However, your child may in fact be suffering from a food intolerance. Food allergies and food intolerances can be difficult to differentiate. They both are reactions to food, and they share some of the same signs and symptoms. That’s why you may confuse the two when identifying the signs and symptoms. For example, some of the shared symptoms between food allergies and food intolerance include nausea, stomach pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. Here’s an explanation of what is what, and what to do in either case.
Food Intolerance
Food intolerance is generally less serious than food allergies and is often limited to digestive problems. If your child has food intolerance, he or she may be able to take in small amounts of that offending food without much of a problem. Digestive problems may only happen when your child eats a lot of the offending food. Food intolerance doesn’t affect the body instantly, but gradually. In general, it is not life threatening, but can cause discomfort in the body, especially in the digestive system. Some symptoms of food intolerances include gas, bloating, irritability and nervousness.
Food Allergies
Food allergies involve the immune system. When your child’s immune system mistakenly identifies a particular food as an invader it prompts the body to overreact and release chemicals, causing an allergic reaction. It can affect the whole body, not just the digestive system. Generally, food allergies may cause more serious and severe reactions in the body. Some of the symptoms of food allergies include rash, hives or itchy skin, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing or breathing. If your child is having trouble swallowing or breathing, you should call emergency services immediately. Food allergies are commonly triggered by food such as peanuts, fish, milk, and eggs.
Treatment for Your Child
There are a few things you can do once you know what food causes a physical reaction in your child. First, you can keep a diary of the foods you eat and the symptoms your child has. From there, you can then plan your child’s meals without the offending foods. If you suspect your child has allergies, get your health professional to perform an allergy test.
Not all proteins are the same. Proteins that are broken down to smaller particles are scientifically shown to be easier to digest compared to regular cow’s milk. NANKID OPTIPRO HA 3 uses Nestlé’s Most Advanced Protein, which are proteins broken down into pieces that are 10x smaller through a hydrolysis technology within Nestlé. NANKID OPTIPRO HA 3 contains Partially Hydrolysed Protein, 50mg of DHA & ARA** and 100 million BIFIDUS BL beneficial bacteria**.
**per 100g of milk powder
Related articles
Childhood Allergies
How to prevent the risk of allergies? Nutrition for food allergy protection Food allergies are a great concern among parents of young children.
7 mins to read
Understanding Mastitis
Don’t let mastitis affecting your enjoyment as a mother.
3 mins to read
How to help a picky eater
Wondering how to help a picky eater? Developing a palate takes time. So we’ve prepared a menu of useful tips to help turn your picky eater into a food lover.
2 mins to read
Common Childhood Allergies in Malaysia
Does your child have a childhood allergy? An allergic reaction occurs when the body’s immune system reacts to an allergen, a substance that’s usually harmless to other people.
3 mins to read
What is an Allergic March?
An allergic march isn’t when your child gets the seasonal allergies in March. In fact, it isn’t related to a month at all.
3 mins to read
Food allergies in children Vs intolerances—things to consider
Child allergies and intolerances can develop at any time. An allergy is our immune system’s reaction to a substance it thinks is harmful.
3 mins to read
Allergy Symptoms: Things To Know About Your Child
What is an allergy? A childhood allergy is the response of the body's immune system to normally harmless substances, such as pollens, foods, and house dust mite.
4 mins to read
Partially Hydrolysed Protein vs Regular Cow’s Milk Protein: The Hard Facts
Milk is power packed with all sorts of nutrients for a growing child. And just like a superhero has his source of strength, your child can get a variety of vitamins and minerals from milk.
1 min to read
What to consider when choosing a nursery
Wondering how to pick a nursery to look after your child? We have put together a list of some things to consider when choosing a nursery, from childcare costs to location.
2 mins to read
Healthy Digestion: Avoiding Diarrhoea
While diarrhoea may be a poopy subject to talk about, it’s important for parents to have information on it.
3 mins to read
Coping with separation anxiety
Clingy Child Syndrome, otherwise known as separation anxiety in toddlers, can be upsetting for you and your child. Here are some tips to help you both cope with separation anxiety.
1 min to read
Is Your Little One Vomitting? Learn Why and How to Handle It
In general, little one vomiting will freak you and your partner out.
4 mins to read
Kid talk: How to encourage junior’s first words
Your child’s first words are likely to happen after a few months of kid talk.
2 mins to read
Starting an Adventure of Solid Food
At 6 months old, your growing child will begin to need more to meet their nutritional needs.
3 mins to read
Will taking iron-rich food be too much for my child?
As a parent, you may be often worried about whether your child is getting enough iron daily. However, on the other hand, you may also be concerned about providing too much iron for your child.
4 mins to read
Finding a Balanced Weight for Your Child
Your child’s ever-increasing play time means that they could be expending more calories than they are consuming. That is when you will notice your child begins to lose weight.
3 mins to read
Growing Up with a Healthy Eq (Emotional Intelligence)
As a parent, you always want your child to have the best. Be it being in the best of health, or in development, we strive to raise children to their fullest potential.
3 mins to read
Educating Your Child about Allergy
As a parent, you’ve probably wondered more than once how you can help your child if he or she has an allergy, or an allergic reaction.
3 mins to read
4 Steps to Check If Your Child Is Obese
Did you know that you there is a way to check if your child is obese or not? It is through the Body Mass Index or BMI and it only takes 4 steps to calculate it:
3 mins to read
Related tools
