How can parents distinguish between a colicky baby and one with a food allergy?
Food allergy may induce colic, but it’s not the most common reason for it. If parents have a child who is very irritable or colicky, they should talk to their pediatrician about making a change in the baby’s formula to see whether that results in any improvement. Suspicion of a food allergy would be increased if that fussy baby also has not only gastrointestinal symptoms, but also skin problems such as atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, which is an allergic skin condition that is characterized by red, raised rashes that itch. Can most food allergies be outgrown? Children with allergies to cows’ milk, egg, soy and wheat usually outgrow their allergy by the time they are five years old. If the children successfully avoid eating the food, they improve their chances of outgrowing the allergy. Other foods like peanuts and tree nuts, as well as seafood, tend to be lifelong food allergens for people. However, there have been two studies that have shown that as many as 19 percent of chil
