Diagnosis & Treatments for Allergies in Infants

Diagnosing and treating allergies in infants may be challenging since it may difficult to determine what is causing allergy symptoms. Some tests are available to help diagnose infant allergies. Treating allergies in infants usually involves removing allergens from the child's environment.

Types

• Infants are most commonly either affected by nasal allergies or food allergies.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of nasal allergies may include persistent cold-like symptoms, sneezing and watery or itchy eyes. Symptoms of food allergies may include hives, vomiting and diarrhea. Severe reactions such as difficulty breathing and facial swelling require emergency medical treatment.

Diagnosis

• Allergies should initially be discussed with a pediatrician. If needed, a referral can be made to a allergy specialist. A blood allergy antibody test can be performed to determine if the infant is experiencing allergies. A skin test can be performed to determine what substances are triggering allergic responses.

Treatment

• Treatment of nasal allergies may include removal of allergy triggers from the environment and antihistamine medications prescribed by a doctor. Food allergies are treated by avoiding allergens entirely.

Misconceptions

• Allergies may not show up until an infant is exposed to an allergen over a period of time. Some allergies may not become noticeable until a child is a few years old. Also, children may outgrow allergies over time.