What is a soy allergy?
A soy allergy is a reaction by your child’s immune system to the protein in soybeans. Our immune systems normally respond to bacteria or viruses that attack the body. With a food allergy, the body’s immune system attacks harmless things, such as the proteins found in soybeans. Soy is one of the 8 foods that are responsible for most food allergies in children. The other foods include eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts and cashews), wheat, fish, and shellfish. Soybeans are in the legume family (kidney beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts). Some people are allergic to more than one type of legume. A soy allergy is most common in infants and is usually noticed by 3 months of age. Most children outgrow this allergy by 2 or 3 years of age.
