What Is the Most Common Allergy in Children?

The occurrence of allergies on children is mostly for those children who are in families with a history of allergies. The most common allergy in children is food allergies especially allergic reactions to milk, milk products and eggs.

Allergy symptoms include:

• Skin rashes or hives
• Breathing difficulties
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• A runny nose
• Itchy eyes
• Stomach upset

Food allergies are more common because children especially breastfeeding children are more exposed to food that to any other allergy triggers. A breastfeeding baby may have an allergic reaction to the mother’s diet and is being passed down through breast milk. Many children will also have allergic reactions to peanuts, milk, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.

For some of these allergies, the children can outgrow them for example milk and wheat. But for those, the allergies can last a lifetime.

Food allergies are quite dangerous because if they are not immediately attended to, they can lead to anaphylaxis which is a potentially life-threatening reaction. It impairs breathing and causes a sudden drop in body pressure. It follows then that food allergies are treated with epinephrine.

As a parent, it is difficult to be around your child all the time so you should focus on monitoring your child for symptoms. This will help you with early identification which will help you improve the quality of your child’s life.