Food allergies

Name

Institution

Abstract

Food allergies result from a situation whereby there is an overreaction of the natural defense mechanism of the body when there is exposure to a given food material. In such a scenario, the defense mechanism of the body treats the food substance as an intruder and thus releasing and sending chemicals to protect the body. Food allergy affects both young and old and is a source of concern to medics to find a solution to the challenge. This paper will dwell on elaborating on food allergies resulting from the intake of cow milk.

Introduction

Allergic reactions to the intake of cow milk, peanut, eggs, wheat, and fish to infants and children are common occurrences of cases of food allergy. This paper is a presentation of food allergies as a result of taking cow milk in babies and small children. The reason for choosing cow milk allergies is because it is the commonest of all food allergies and affects a majority of the infants and children. Again, cow milk is a common and necessary food substance for a healthy growth of infants and children. It is also readily available to majority households both in the rural and urban areas thus affecting a majority of infants and kids. The combination of these reasons makes cow milk a common food allergy thus prompting my desire to research on cow milk allergies.

Where I undertook the research on cow milk allergies.

Cow milk allergies affect a significant number of infants and school going children. I conducted my research at an immunization center for infants and children. From my efforts, I learnt that cow milk allergy was a grave cause for concern and there is a dire need to address it.

From my research, I identified that it is important to educate parents and caregivers on the cow milk allergies to children so that the effect can be tamed. Again, I also learnt that some of the parents had the idea that their children had allergic reactions to cow milk but continued to feed them on cow milk because of various reasons. Some parents did not think of cow milk allergies as a serious cause of concern and continued feeding their children on it with the perception that the allergies will disappear once they reach a certain age. To other parents, getting a substitute for cow milk was a challenge and had no option but to feed them on cow milk as long as the reactions were not adverse. To other parents too, acquiring treatment for their children because of milk allergies was not an option because of financial constraints. Some parents, especially in the urban areas were too busy to notice any allergies in their children. To other parents, it was ignorance of the highest order because they did not bother to identify that their children had some allergies, and there was a need for action.

Explaining cow milk allergies.

Cow milk allergies is a common food allergy affecting infants and children. Allergic reactions from cow milk affect two to six percent of infants and children (Sackeyfio et al., 2011). These infants and children begin to show the symptoms of cow milk allergies a few days or months after the intake of cow milk. The symptoms alongside cow milk allergies can be mild or severe, with some causing life-threatening reactions. Different people react differently to the intake of cow milk. Some children and infants may show severe reactions from the consumption of small amounts of cow milk. Others may only show slight reactions from intake of moderate milk amounts. It is unfortunate that allergies from cow milk result in many health challenges in infants and children. In most cases, allergies from cow milk are not frequently diagnosed because some cases take a long time before diagnosis. The good news is that most of these infants and children outgrow the cow milk allergies by the time they reach five years because the allergies are less common in children over five years and adults (Sackeyfio et al., 2011). All in all, it is important for parents to have their children checked once they speculate a cow milk allergy and have them treated with an alternative food supplement recommended if they have to stop intake of cow milk.

What I knew about cow milk allergies

Even before carrying out the research on cow milk allergies, I knew that it affects a large number of children and infants. The most common symptoms associated with cow milk allergies are hives and stomach upsets. I also suspected that most parents continue feeding their children and infants on cow milk despite the knowledge that they have allergic reactions to milk. Most of these parents disregard the mild symptoms of cow milk allergies due to lack of an alternative food to supply the nutrients found in milk.

Conclusion.

Before engaging in research on the allergic reactions from cow milk intake, I had some insights about some issues revolving around the allergies. For instance, I knew that cow milk causes allergic reactions in many infants and children. However, conducting research on cow milk allergies was very educative, and it was much more that I thought it would be. To begin with, I did not have the idea that some reactions to the intake of cow milk are life threatening and if not taken care of, could be fatal. It was also evident that some parents disregard the allergic reaction to the intake of cow milk because they know that at a certain age, the reactions will disappear on their own. Parents should be sure to take their children to medical practitioners once they observe any allergic reactions from cow milk intake so that they can be advised accordingly. In other cases, the allergic reactions could be as a result of a different food substance, and, it is always appropriate to seek the advice of a nutritionist. Lastly, there are cases in which cow milk allergy is confused with lactose intolerance, yet the two are different scenarios. This adds more reasons for a visit to a medical practitioner so that the right diagnosis is made and proper treatment administered.

Recommendations

The cases of allergic reactions to cow milk are vast and, there is a need to address the issue for the safety of children and infants since some reactions could be life-threatening. It would be necessary to have educational forums for mothers on the type of foods to give to their children. Again, the parents should be given an outline of the foods with possible allergic reactions and the symptoms to look out for. The parents should also be taught on the supplementary food substances that supply similar nutrients as milk for healthy growth of their children. Since the cost of some of the subsidies is high and are not readily available, the government should take measures that reduce the price and work on their availability. If I had to do research over again, I would still choose cow milk allergies. This is because of its effects to many people and there is still a lot that needs to be done in dealing with cow milk allergies.

Reference

Sackeyfio, A. et al. (2011). GUIDELINES: Diagnosis and assessment of food allergy in children and young people: summary of NICE guidance. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 342(7796), 544–546.