About Food Allergies

If your child has a food allergy, his immune system overreacts to a food. This is caused by an antibody called Immunoglobulin E (IgE), which is found in people with allergies. A food allergy is more likely to develop in someone who has family members with allergies.

The most common food allergens are:

• cow's milk
• eggs
• peanuts
• wheat
• soy
• fish
• sesame seeds
• shellfish
• tree nuts

Many children outgrow their allergies to milk, eggs or wheat in early childhood. However, the majority of children do not outgrow their allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish and shellfish.

Symptoms of food allergies can include hives, skin swelling, difficulty breathing, cough, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea, red skin rash and fainting after eating a food.