A food allergy is when your baby’s immune system has a bad (adverse) reaction to a usually harmless protein in a food, leading to the release of histamine and other chemicals that cause symptoms such as itch and swelling.
If your baby has a food allergy, he is likely to show symptoms just a few minutes after having the food.
Food allergies are common in babies and young children, and your child is more likely to have a food allergy if you have a family history of them, or of other allergic conditions, such as asthma, hayfever or eczema. The link between food allergies and eczema is the strongest.
Consultant Paediatric Allergist Professor Adam Fox explores the top food allergies in babies.
