Allergy to formula in infants: causes, symptoms, treatment methods and prevention

Symptoms

Parents always want to know how to accurately determine intolerance to a new food. This is not difficult to do. When an allergy to the mixture develops, infants quickly develop characteristic symptoms. Among them:

• dry skin, itching;
• rash elements (on all parts of the body);
• areas of hyperemia on the skin;
• vomit;
• regurgitation;
• hiccups;
• bloating;
• stool disorders (diarrhea, constipation);
• restless behavior.

Sometimes allergies manifest themselves as a sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose and cough. Such symptoms can easily be confused with a cold. The main difference is that in the first case there is no high temperature. It is very important to carry out the correct differential diagnosis in a timely manner. If you have allergies, there is a risk of developing bronchial asthma and other unpleasant complications.

An allergy to the mixture may not appear immediately and the timing of the occurrence of negative reactions after consuming a new product may vary. This factor depends on the individual characteristics of the baby’s body. Some children show symptoms after just one feeding, while others will show characteristic signs only after three months.

Symptoms of an allergy to the mixture

Why does my baby hiccup so often?

A special partition between the chest and abdominal cavities, the diaphragm, is responsible for the occurrence of hiccups in the human body. The vagus nerve, passing from the chest cavity to the abdominal cavity, squeezes along with the esophagus through a narrow opening in the diaphragm. Irritation of the vagus nerve can occur with general overexcitation, accompanied by a sharp breath (screaming, fear), a sharp change in the fullness of the abdominal or thoracic cavity (overeating, belching, bowel movements), as well as with an uncomfortable position when the nerve is compressed. Rarely, although most often in children, hiccups begin with severe hypothermia as a systemic reaction. As can be understood from the explanation of the causes of hiccups, this phenomenon is harmless and passes rather quickly.

The physiological immaturity of an infant contributes to the more frequent occurrence of hiccups in him than in an adult. The muscles and nerve passages do not yet work well enough, and the “lifestyle” of the child in the first months is a provocation for the occurrence of hiccups: the baby eats a lot and often, does not always digest food well, he is moved often and sometimes in an uncomfortable position, and he often thinks expresses everything by screaming. How to help a hiccupping child?

These tips should be considered specifically as help in improving the condition, and not as eliminating hiccups as such. Why? Yes, because we already know that this is a spontaneous reaction, and we can only slightly influence the causes.

• warm the child if he started to hiccup on his own and was clearly hypothermic (he was lying undressed for a long time, the room was cool, he had a cold back in the area of ​​​​the shoulder blades) - warmth, a warm hug from a loved one and an offer of breasts can quickly solve this problem;
• eliminate the cause of the nervous shock and calm the baby before eating, if he cried for a long time or too much - this way the sucking will be more uniform, it is possible to feed in several stages of attachment to the breast (or other source of nutrition).
• help burp air if the child sucked greedily and clearly swallowed it. It is worth mentioning that with proper breastfeeding, this situation is almost impossible.
• change the child’s position to a more relaxed one, with less pressure on the abdominal cavity.
• wash a hiccupping child after profuse bowel movements or regurgitation, rock him and... feed him again: this way he will quickly restore his emotional background and fill the abdominal cavity with a distended stomach.

Symptoms of an allergy to the mixture

A number of signs indicate the presence of an allergic reaction to the mixture. These include:

1. Excessive gas formation. The cause of its appearance is poorly digested protein, the breakdown products of which cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).
2. Stool disorders. It happens too often, mixed with mucus and blood.
3. Vomiting after eating. Babies with an allergy to cow's milk contained in formula eat poorly and gain weight very slowly.
4. Swelling of the lips or mouth.

Therefore, if a child has an allergy to milk protein, he will develop:

• diarrhea;
• abdominal pain;
• vomit;
• damage to the respiratory system (runny nose, cough);
• skin lesions;
• a red rash that itches and peels.

All these symptoms, as a rule, appear already in the first month of life. In addition to them, the baby may be bothered by urticaria, swelling of the larynx, and sometimes anaphylaxis .

However, the latter is extremely rare in young children.

Much more often, two clinical forms of an allergic reaction to infant formula are combined: skin and gastrointestinal.

• The first appears as bright red rashes with small blisters filled with liquid. Most often, the rash appears on the cheeks, forehead, inner parts of the elbows and behind the knees. The child tries to cope with the itching and as a result scratches the blisters until a wet crust appears, similar to eczema.
• The gastrointestinal form in infants is much more difficult to determine, because the baby cannot talk about it. In addition, such disorders in the first months of life can be disguised as infantile colic and be similar to other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

An allergy to the mixture can last up to a year, and in some children - up to three. Fortunately, by the age of 3-4 years, in 99% of children, the allergy to CMP goes away completely.

But how to survive these first years if a child is diagnosed with an allergy to cow's milk proteins?

Prevention of hiccups

Having figured out why a child hiccups after breastfeeding, it is also worth noting methods for preventing this condition in the baby. As a rule, preventive measures are:

• take breaks during feeding;
• feed at an angle of at least 45 degrees;
• raise the baby to an upright position after feeding;
• do not force the child to eat if he does not want to;
• Don’t let your baby get too hungry;
• make sure the hole in the nipple is not too large;
• adjust your diet. Legumes and other foods can often cause a similar condition in a baby.

Why does a child hiccup after breastfeeding? Your pediatrician will tell you what to do. Consult your doctor, ask him all the necessary questions, make sure you understand everything and follow the basic rules of prevention, and then your child will feel good. Remember that the baby’s body is very delicate and requires mother’s attention and care. Watch his diet and your diet, since everything that the mother eats goes to the baby with milk.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction to the mixture

Symptoms of a reaction in a newborn to an adapted formula are easy to notice. An allergy looks like this:

• Food allergy in a baby with photo: how to cure it, when will it go away, what do the symptoms look like?

• rash on the baby’s legs, neck, face;
• dry skin;
• red spots on the face, buttocks and legs;
• regurgitation, hiccups after them;
• vomiting and bowel dysfunction.

Additionally, children may experience respiratory reactions - cough, runny nose, sore throat, although these also indicate a cold. It is important to immediately differentiate an allergic reaction from a cold. A cold leads to complications in the bronchi and lungs; allergies can cause asthma, shortness of breath and other respiratory disorders.

Allergies are characterized by dry and red skin

Is it possible to feed a child when he hiccups?

As noted above, you should not continue to give milk to your baby if he hiccups and cries. Give it a rest, carry it in a column. Perhaps you have already overfed your baby, and the natural hiccups in this case have begun. After feeding, you need to let the baby burp - so he should be carried vertically.

If hiccups occur later, sometimes you just have to wait it out. You can help by giving the baby a little water to drink and then putting it to the breast. There is no need to twist him around, try to play, thereby distracting him - he will only get more nervous.

How to help your baby with severe hiccups:

• A couple of sips of water can quench the baby’s thirst - hiccups occur when the mucous membrane dries out;
• If your tummy is swollen and increased intestinal activity is causing compression of the diaphragm, anti-colic remedies and pediatrician advice will help.

Disruption of the functioning of the nerve centers is a rather rare pathology, and it occurs with birth injuries to the baby. Treatment is prescribed strictly by a doctor. But don't panic - perhaps the reason really is overeating.

What to do?

If alarming signs appear, you should consult a doctor: only an experienced specialist can exclude the possibility of developing measles, rubella or chickenpox. The doctor will not only conduct a visual examination of the baby, but will also prescribe special testing that will help identify the allergen. This will determine if the baby formula is actually the cause.

For minor manifestations of the pathological process, the doctor may recommend reducing the volume of consumption and concentration of the mixture. But this measure will only help to slightly reduce symptoms. In severe cases of pathology, allergies are treated with the use of antihistamines, which are acceptable during this period. Medicines are prescribed by a pediatrician taking into account the individual characteristics of the baby.

To prevent the recurrence of an allergy to the formula in an infant, you will need to replace it with another product that does not contain cow's milk protein.

It is also important during this period to limit the use of detergents for bathing the baby and washing baby clothes. And for skin care, use special products from the hypoallergenic series.

Skin rashes and the itching that accompanies them make the baby want to scratch the damaged area. Therefore, to prevent scratching, you should regularly use topical antihistamines prescribed by your doctor to treat allergies. And to prevent bacterial infection, you need to wear special “anti-scratch” mittens on your baby’s hands or use blouses with sewn-up sleeves. These precautions will help reduce discomfort.

What to do if your baby is allergic to formula

Captured air: why a child hiccups a lot

If a young mother experiences a strong flow of milk, air can enter the baby's stomach. He simply does not have time to swallow portions that are too large for him, he chokes, and accordingly opens his mouth, and air bubbles enter the stomach. An inappropriate hole in the nipple of the bottle can also cause air to enter the stomach.

Affects the entry of air with food and improper attachment to the breast. If not the entire nipple areola is in the baby's mouth, he may trap air along with the milk.

When should hiccups cause concern:

• If the nutrition is correct, and hiccups appear daily;
• If all actions are stopped, they do not produce results.

In this case, take your baby to the doctor to dispel any doubts. If you suspect a neurological problem, go to a pediatric neurologist. If, in addition to hiccups, you notice problems with your tummy, go to a gastroenterologist. Sometimes hiccups are associated with problems with the baby’s heart, so to be sure not to worry about this, consult a cardiologist.

Characteristic symptoms

Manifestations of an allergy in a newborn to formula milk may be signs of a reaction to another irritant. Only a doctor can determine the source of the symptoms based on test results.

How to understand that the reaction is specifically to the mixture

First of all, the doctor excludes the development of contact dermatitis, which can occur due to the use of cream, diapers, and baby laundry detergent.

• Allergic arthritis - symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Clinical manifestations in this case are observed only in places of contact with the allergen.

The body's reaction to food (mixture) and medications is considered. To identify the source of allergies, special tests and laboratory diagnostic measures are carried out.

Manifestations

Signs of an allergic reaction to artificial nutrition in a newborn concern not only the skin, but also other organs and systems:

1. The gastrointestinal tract often suffers: the child often regurgitates not only the food itself, but also air. The rate of air release through the oral cavity after eating is 1-2 times . If an allergic reaction to food is observed, the number of regurgitations increases to 7-8, after which severe hiccups occur.
2. Diarrhea or constipation. In some cases, intestinal colic and bloating occur with normal stool.
3. Runny nose with clear exudate, cough without an increase in general temperature. Due to insufficient development of the respiratory system, such manifestations can cause more dangerous consequences, so if they are detected, it is recommended to immediately visit a doctor.
4. A specific reaction of the body to formula milk occurs on the part of the skin. Photo-symptoms most often occur on the face and are presented in the form of small rashes and redness. Cheeks and cheekbones suffer. The reaction spreads to the stomach, buttocks, forearms, and neck.

The rashes look unsightly and cause discomfort to the child. Due to itching, the child tries to scratch the skin, irritability and anxiety increase.

Advice from an experienced mother: how to stop hiccups in a newborn (video)

If you establish feeding your baby, do everything according to the recommendations, in an established routine, and hiccups will occur much less frequently. Remember that today you can ask a breastfeeding specialist for advice; almost every hospital or antenatal clinic has such a specialist.

A newly born person seems to us to be very tiny and inept. All actions taken to care for him are aimed at helping him do what he is not able to do on his own. Any independent action on the part of the baby causes emotion in the parents, and sometimes even wariness. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the child breathes, makes sounds, looks for his mother’s breast with his mouth, and knows how to empty himself. But crying, groaning, regurgitation, sneezing are regarded as a reason for worry - is this the norm? The same thing happens with hiccups in a baby. Should you worry about hiccups, we will try to explain below.

Just like breathing and sneezing, hiccups are a reflex, that is, an involuntary reaction that cannot be controlled: if it occurs, it will only go away when the causes of its occurrence are eliminated.