About Wheat-Allergy Symptoms in Infants

Wheat allergies are an immune response to one or more of four proteins found in wheat: albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten. The body determines that these proteins are a threat and develops antibodies to fight them. Wheat allergies are most common in children and infants, but rare in the general population afflicting only one-half of 1 percent of people overall.

Risk Factors

• Both genetic and environmental risk factors play roles in developing wheat allergies. The two biggest indicators are family history and age. If both parents or a parent and a sibling have allergies, the infant is at high risk. Wheat allergy is often outgrown before age 5, leaving infants and children at a higher risk then adults. Other risk factors include exposure to cow's milk, soy milk or solid foods prior to 3 months of age, spring birth and exposure to cigarette smoke.

Symptoms

• Symptoms to wheat allergies reveal themselves in minutes to hours of consumption. Symptoms can include rashes, hives, vomiting, diarrhea, swelling, wheezing and sneezing. In rare cases, anaphylaxis develops with its own set of symptoms including: tightness of the chest and throat, difficulty breathing, trouble swallowing, pale or blue skin tone, dizziness and weak pulse. Anaphylaxis can be fatal; medical attention is required. The severity of the symptoms depends primarily on the amount of food consumed and individual sensitivity.

Prevention

• Allergies have no cures, but you can take some practical steps to reduce the risk of developing wheat allergy. Breastfeed if possible, but if you must use formula use hypoallergenic varieties. Do not feed your infant solid food until after 6 months of age. When you begin, introduce one food every couple of days to minimize confusion, if a reaction should occur. Do not smoke around your children. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, do not postpone feeding your child allergenic foods as a preventative method; it increases the risk that your child will have an allergic reaction. People who have been diagnosed with wheat allergy should have epinephrine injections with them in case medical help is not readily available.

Considerations

• Some people who have wheat allergy only show symptoms if they exercise after eating wheat. This is called wheat-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis. In this case, the body does not exhibit the non-life threatening symptoms, but rather goes directly to anaphylaxis.

  Baker's asthma is wheat allergy that is caused by breathing in wheat, such as flour, instead of eating it. The chief symptom is difficulty breathing.

Misconceptions

• Wheat allergy is not the same thing as gluten intolerance. It is common to believe that they are the same condition; they are distinctly different. Wheat allergy is an autoimmune response to one or more proteins found in wheat, not exclusively gluten. Gluten intolerance affects 15 percent of the population and is a food sensitivity that must be managed. The body has difficulty digesting only the gluten component of wheat. You may be diagnosed with both wheat allergy and gluten intolerance.