Dietician shares important allergy advice for all parents with babies
A pediatric dietitian has taken to social media to warn parents about how food allergies can unknowingly develop before the weaning process has even begun.
Allergy reactions can be a frightening ordeal for children and their parents, especially when it's triggered by a new food.
Lucy Upton, a renowned pediatric dietician, has taken to TikTok to shed light on a topic she believes is "isn't talked about nearly enough", which holds great significance for parents of infants with skin conditions like eczema.
"Parents today are more proactive than ever when it comes to preventing food allergies in their kids," she wrote in a caption.
"However, one major thing we've learned in recent years: eczema isn't just a skin condition - it's the biggest risk factor for developing food allergies."
Lucy went on to offer advice on how to prevent such scenarios, urging: "The tip is this - babies or children with a compromised skin barrier should not before they start eating these foods, be applying anything to their skin that contains food or food products such as proteins."
Lucy, who wrote a book titled, 'The Ultimate Guide to Children's Nutrition: How to nurture happy, healthy eaters in the first five years', also cautioned that many moisturizers, creams, and bath products contain ingredients derived from foods like coconut and oats.
"We do not want to be putting those onto a compromised skin barrier before a baby is eating those foods in their diet," she advised. "This is important for the following reason - we know that babies can sensitise and essentially be on the path to becoming allergic to a food before they've ever eaten it via exposure to the skin."
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Lucy elaborated, pointing out that particularly for children with a compromised skin barrier, there's an increased risk when food proteins that have "infiltrated the skin" start "talking to the immune cells" within the skin.
"Of course, food isn't meant to be on our skin, so those cells are going, 'What's this? You shouldn't be here' - and start mounting and deciding that that is a threat and that is an invader before the child has even eaten it," she explained.
Lucy concluded her advice by saying: "So if your baby has got eczema - especially if this is moderate to severe - you should be getting some support with how to manage their skin and improve that. Go to your GP first and try to avoid anything that's got any food proteins in it until they've started eating those foods during weaning."
Reacting to the information, one appreciative viewer wrote: "Thank you for sharing this. I'm a student midwife, we usually recommend food oils to moisturise babies such as coconut oil but I'll stop that now."
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Another TikTok user recounted their personal story: "My mum smothered me in almond oil as directed by her doctor in the 90s. I'm the first in our family to be anaphylactic to almonds."
A third commenter also looked back on a distressing experience: "My now 17 year old reacted to egg white that was suggested to be used as a nappy rash treatment. Old wives tales have a lot to answer for!"
A fourth voiced their realization: "Okay, well this makes sense why my little girl is allergic to oats! Used to use oat-based moisturisers on her eczema when she was a new-born."
These comments led Lucy to acknowledge the complexity of the issue. She said: "It's really tricky, as there is data for how helpful some of these products can be. And our understanding around food allergy risk and eczema is still building – but being aware so that alternatives."
Healthline offers advice for parents should seek help regarding allergies. "If very mild symptoms come and go quickly, take note of what happened and what may have caused it," their website states.
"Did your baby visit a new park or a home with a pet? Did they recently try a new food? Did you switch detergents or start using a new cleaning product in the home? Temporary, mild symptoms don’t require a doctor’s visit, but they are worth remembering for your baby’s next appointment or if you notice those signs again."
Healthline adds further advice: "If symptoms don’t subside within a day or they worsen, however, call your pediatrician’s office and explain what you’ve observed. The same advice holds for a reaction to a new medication. An immediate reaction, even a mild one, should prompt a call to the pediatrician. If signs of anaphylaxis emerge, call your local emergency services and treat it as a medical emergency. Don’t hesitate, as anaphylaxis can be life-threatening."
