Allergy and asthma have long been known to run in families, making it a condition that a parent might pass down to their children. These tips should help prevent or at the very least lessen the allergies that your children might have.
Food allergies
Recent studies have shown that avoiding allergen rich foods during your pregnancy doesn't actually help when it comes to preventing allergies. The best way would be to breastfeed your baby. Breastmilk is easily digestible by babies and it also strengthens their immune systems and can even reduce the risk of early eczema, wheezing, as well as cow's milk allergy.
During your baby's 4th-6th month, you should try slowly introducing different foods into their diet. Try to give a 3-5 day allowance before introducing new food so that you can know which foods your baby might be allergic to.
Environmental allergies and asthma
Dust mites can be a cause of allergies. Contact with dust mites can trigger asthma or allergy symptoms, so reducing contact with these allergens can prevent or lower the chances of asthma or air-borne allergies. Use pillow covers that are allergen impermeable and if possible, wash them in hot water weekly. You should also remove any upholstered furniture or carpets from your infant's bedroom if possible.
Pets can sometimes trigger allergies. However, exposure to pets during early life as a contributor to asthma or allergies is still being debated. Some research actually shows that pets can reduce allergies and asthma and children raised on farms have lower instances of allergies. Talk to your doctor to know what's best for your family.
Tobacco smoke can increase your child's wheezing during infancy, so it's best to not expose your child to any tobacco smoke even during pregnancy. Secondhand smoke has been known to increase the development of asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Breastfeeding is very important to asthma prevention as well. Breast milk is a super food in that it contains everything that your growing baby needs. So it's best to breastfeed for as long as possible so that your child will have a strong immune system
Source
Republished with permission from: theAsianparent Philippines
