Preventing Food Allergies in Infants - Essay Example

"Preventing Food Allergies in Infants" is a delightful example of a paper on child development.
The beginning of weaning for infants can be an exciting and significant step for parents and their toddlers. However, taking this step comes with its share of challenges, a major one being food allergies. According to the document "Preventing Food Allergies in Infants: Allergen Avoidance or Introduction?" the rate of occurrence of this condition has been on the rise recently, with an estimated ten percent of toddlers in America falling prey to this condition. The most common allergens for toddlers in the country are cow's milk, peanuts, and shellfish, which the children can outgrow, though others remain active for the rest of their lives.

The document identifies the early introduction of solid food as a significant cause of food allergies, advising parents to avoid giving foods with common allergens even in young children. Though this method is common, research evidence indicates that it is not entirely adequate, and professionals like immunology specialists have encouraged parents to feed their toddlers foods with small amounts of common allergens as a way of reducing allergic reactions. Researches conducted to verify this notion indicated that early exposure to common allergens like peanut reduces the chances of developing allergic reactions by up to 80%. Similar research conducted on infants below the age of three months yielded identical results. The early introduction approach is highly recommended by numerous national and international medical groups, who have even developed recommendations on ways of improving the approach. Therefore, parents need to note that prolonged avoidance only increases the risks of developing food allergies.

Food allergies are severe and potentially life-threatening conditions for infants. Therefore, learning about the condition is extremely important for parents. The food allergies topic is also essential since it provides insights into the factors affecting the condition, including some of the common signs and symptoms of food allergies that parents should look out for. Furthermore, the topic also provides insights into how the condition is diagnosed, including when the parents should seek medical intervention. Therefore, the topic is generally informative and should be included as one of the fundamental pieces of knowledge that parents should possess in their parenthood journey.

Growing up, I was unaware of the existence of food allergies until I witnessed my young sister, who was seven months old at the time, go into shock after eating peanut butter. It was a typical morning, just like any other when I was preparing to leave for school. My sister was in her baby chair, waiting for breakfast, which my mother was making. As I was applying peanut to my breakfast, my sister stretched her hand, scooped some peanut butter, and put it in her mouth. Soon afterward, she started turning blue, and we began witnessing symptoms like dizziness, she turned pale and was struggling to breathe before she went into shock. I signaled my mother, who then called her pediatrician and immediately rushed her to the emergency room. On reaching the hospital, she was diagnosed with anaphylaxis, a severe, acute, and life-threatening allergic reaction (Cheng et al., 2016). She was given a dose of epinephrine adrenaline shot commonly used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions. 

Following the incident, we are all in constant anxiety and fear of the episode occurring again. Though the doctor told my mother about early exposure, the shock prompted her to go into total avoidance. My little sister is not allowed anywhere near peanuts or any peanut products. Furthermore, the doctor prescribed a self-injectable dose of epinephrine in the form of an EpiPen that my sister carries with her everywhere she goes (Chooniedass et al., 2018).

Research from various scientists indicates that early introduction to common allergens helps infants develop the first resistance to these common allergens. According to Perry (2018), early peanut introduction reduces the risk of infants developing peanut allergies by up to 17% by the time they age five years. Understandably, most parents fear introducing peanuts to their children to avoid any repercussions that come with such actions. However, by undertaking a gradual introduction, they may be doing their children a favor. With a gradual introduction, the possibility of allergic reactions is reduced gradually and eradicates the problem (Perry, 2018).