Which cereals are hypoallergenic?
We answered this question in detail in our other article, but here we will also talk about it briefly.
Hypoallergenic cereals do not contain:
- Gluten is a protein that contains an adhesive substance. Gluten is part of the shell of many cereals (oats, wheat, barley, rye). It is harmless for an adult. But in a baby, the ingestion of gluten into the body can be fraught with intestinal upset and allergies.
Cereals that are suitable for first feeding are rice, buckwheat and corn; they do not contain gluten.
- In production, water is removed from cow's milk, thus creating milk protein . The resulting protein includes a huge variety of proteins, including proteins that contain allergens.
- Sucrose does not cause allergies, but can enhance the effects of other allergens. Sucrose can affect intestinal function and cause fermentation, which has a bad effect on the baby’s intestinal microflora. In the production of hypoallergenic cereals, fructose and glucose are added instead of sucrose; this is approved by the Baby Nutrition Committee.
So, porridge for the first feeding of a baby should not contain milk, gluten, sucrose and various fruit additives. It is best to choose buckwheat, rice or corn grits.
allergy to porridge baby
Causes of allergies in children under one year of age Allergy is a state of increased sensitivity of the body to certain environmental factors (air pollutants, pollen, dust), including food products. Unfortunately, the number of people susceptible to allergies is growing every year. There are many reasons for this. The main ones are unfavorable environmental conditions, as well as hereditary predisposition. Of course, these factors (as well as seasonal epidemics, stress, illness of parents before the birth of the child, features of pregnancy and breastfeeding, etc.) lead to the fact that young children are also often susceptible to allergies. In babies of the first year of life, allergies most often manifest themselves in the form of irritations on the skin of the face and body: rashes, redness, peeling. Sometimes childhood allergies are expressed in the form of intestinal colic, gas, unstable stools, or even respiratory disorders. Yes, it's serious. BUT! You shouldn’t be discouraged in advance just because your little one had to be born and grow up in an era of urbanization and environmental disasters! A mother’s task is not to sit and be afraid, but to do everything possible to protect her child from allergies! And this is quite real! How to determine a child's predisposition to allergies Most often, allergies develop in children from the so-called risk group. Whether your child is at risk depends on three main factors, which we called GEM for clarity: Genetics Ecology (environment) Mom Genetics The child inherits a lot of good and not so good things from his parents. If you and your daddy are allergic, be on the lookout. The risk of allergies in a child in this case is 90%. If only the mother is allergic - 80%, only the father - 30%. Well, if it’s not you and your dad who suffer from allergies, but your grandparents, then the probability is reduced to 20%. Ecology The more unfavorable the environment where your pregnancy took place, where the child was born and is growing, the higher the risk of allergies. In an urban environment, the environmental situation is most often not the most favorable. Smog, tobacco smoke, and many allergens from trees and plants accumulate in the air. Well, if before the birth of the baby the father worked in a hazardous industry, the ecology of the place of work influenced his health and, indirectly, the health of the unborn child. Where the family lives and where the father works is, of course, up to you to decide. All that can be advised here is to always think small! Mom Alas, not always and not everyone’s pregnancy proceeds serenely and calmly. Allergies in the unborn child are promoted by illnesses of the mother during pregnancy, associated use of antibiotics and the threat of miscarriage (increased permeability of the placenta). It also happens that a pregnant woman is absolutely healthy, but is too keen on consuming chocolate, nuts, citrus fruits, fish or other allergenic foods. Such innocent addictions for the “former life” can also later turn into big allergic problems for the baby... And if the mother also smoked during pregnancy and continues to do so after the birth of the child, the likelihood of developing allergies in the baby increases by 35-50%! Moreover, passive smoking also “counts.” Another reason to get rid of a bad habit! And of course, one of the main reasons for the manifestation of childhood allergies is poor nutrition of the baby. We will tell you about proper nutrition below!
How can you protect your child from allergies? 6 simple tips Even if you find several matches at once, do not lose heart. Firstly (and there are many examples of this), it happens that the baby has no allergies despite everything. And secondly, even the high probability of allergies in a child can be significantly reduced! You must always be very attentive and sensitive towards your baby. How to reduce the risk of childhood allergies? 1. Maintain breastfeeding for as long as possible 2. Follow the doctor’s recommendations on the mother’s diet 3. If supplementary feeding is necessary, choose the right formula 4. When complementary feeding, use special baby food 5. Follow the rules for introducing complementary foods and feeding regimen Maintain breastfeeding for as long as possible Do you have enough breast milk and are breastfeeding established? Congratulations! Your child is protected from allergies as much as possible, taking into account all the factors described above. Therefore, do not stop breastfeeding your baby for as long as possible! Thus, you give him even more chances to avoid becoming allergic! Monitor the quality of breast milk However, you don’t just need to give your baby breastfeeding on time. Before you eat or drink anything, think about how it might affect your milk and your baby. Allergist experts recommend that mothers of children in their first year of life significantly limit their consumption of the following products - sausages and meat products, canned food, cocoa, exotic fruits, smoked meats, sauerkraut, grapes, grapefruits, tangerines, garlic, green onions. It is also necessary to reduce the consumption of milk (it is advisable to replace whole milk with fermented milk products), jam, sugar, melons and rye bread. How do you like the prospect? Don’t be alarmed, this list does not include a good hundred different drinks and food products! And giving up exotic foods or chocolates for a short time is not so difficult! But your child will remain healthy for life. For the sake of such happiness, one can endure. If you think that your baby is not getting enough breast milk, be sure to consult a specialist! Only a pediatrician observing your baby will be able to correctly determine the cause of your concern and give the necessary recommendations. There are many lactation boosters that will help you maintain the required level of breast milk. If your pediatrician has confirmed that there really is not enough milk or it is impossible to continue full breastfeeding for other objective reasons (it’s time to go to work...), the next stage of defense against childhood allergies begins. Choose the right formula for supplementary feeding So, let's start supplementing the baby. Here mom needs to be extremely vigilant and careful! After all, food allergies are one of the most common among young children! You should choose a suitable infant formula for supplementary feeding as prescribed by your pediatrician. After all, the mixture must exactly correspond to the age, level of health and degree of development of the baby. It is important to remember that the use of formulas by parents that do not correspond to the age and needs of the child’s body is another sure way to allergies! If the risk of developing allergies in your child is high, the pediatrician will most likely recommend that you supplement your child with hypoallergenic formulas containing partially hydrolyzed, i.e. less allergenic protein. An example of an effective hypoallergenic hydrolyzed mixture is Nutrilon® Hypoallergenic 2*. Well, if allergies, unfortunately, have already become a reality for your baby, he will need special mixtures based on deep hydrolyzate (cleavage) of protein. When complementary feeding, use commercially produced baby food. Pediatricians strongly advise against starting complementary feeding for healthy babies too early (up to 4-5 months). And when, in their opinion, the right moment comes to start complementary feeding, they recommend using special industrially produced baby products. These recommendations are well founded. When producing baby food, a wide variety of factors are taken into account that influence its quality: from the ecology of the farms where the ingredients are grown to the level of nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed by a child at a given age. For example, the well-known manufacturer of baby food, Nutricia®, annually conducts tens of thousands of studies and tests in laboratories around the world. Including research and tests related to the hypo-allergenic properties of manufactured products. Feed your baby correctly Whatever brand of complementary foods you choose after consulting a pediatrician, in order not to provoke an allergy in the baby, at the very beginning it is recommended to give single-component products, starting with 1/2 teaspoon (5-10 g). Never introduce more than one new food at once. This way you can always track whether your child is allergic to a certain product. Pediatricians often recommend giving baby cereal as the first complementary food. They need to be cooked only in water. If there are no adverse reactions to the first complementary feeding, after 2 weeks you can introduce a new product, for example vegetable purees or juices. Meat can be introduced from 6 months of age. It is best not to give fish and whole cow's milk to children at risk of allergies until the end of the second year of life. And of course, you should feed your baby according to strict adherence to the instructions on the baby food packaging! Let's say "no" to allergies! Dear mothers! We will be sincerely glad if this article helps you better protect your kids from the occurrence or development of allergies. If you have any additional questions, our online baby nutrition expert will be happy to answer them. Let the baby have fewer “red cheeks” and more good mood!
Brands of manufacturers of dairy-free hypoallergenic cereals
Below we describe the most popular manufacturers and range of hypoallergenic cereals.
"Baby Sitter"
There are buckwheat and rice porridge.
The peculiarity of preparing this porridge is that less dry product is consumed due to the special processing of the cereal.
Baby sitter porridges contain eight minerals and thirteen vitamins.
How to prepare hypoallergenic porridge?
You can dilute the consistency of the porridge with boiled water, from the lowest to the highest temperature, but it is not recommended to use boiling water.
"Nestlé"
Nestlé hypoallergenic porridge comes in rice and buckwheat varieties. Includes nine vitamins and seven minerals.
Thanks to the addition of prebiotics to the hypoallergenic porridge, digestion is normalized. The sweetness of the taste is due to special enzymes.
"Humana"
This manufacturer produces only buckwheat porridge. Glucose and fructose in its composition give it a sweet taste. The porridge also contains vitamin B12, iron diphosphate, and potassium iodate.
"Hipp"
Here, on the contrary, there is only rice porridge. The main advantage of the porridge is that it does not contain palm oil.
Also, hypoallergenic Hipp porridges are made only from cereals grown with natural fertilizer.
"Babushkino Lukoshko"
Assortment: rice, corn, buckwheat. Hypoallergenic porridge Babushkino Lukoshko is enriched with vitamins, prebiotics inulin and oligofructose are added.
Baby
There are two types of porridge here: corn and buckwheat.
Added vitamins and minerals. Hypoallergenic porridge Malyutka does not contain sugar, instead it contains the additive maltodextrin.
"Heinz"
It produces three types of porridge: buckwheat, corn and rice.
The packaging of rice porridge is labeled “low allergen”. Heinz porridges contain only natural grains.
"Fleur Alpine"
The manufacturer produces three flavors: buckwheat, corn and rice. All cereals from Fleur Alpin are grown using natural fertilizers.
Fructo-oligosaccharides have been added to corn porridge.
Buckwheat porridge does not contain any additives.
Fleur Alpin rice porridge is made from whole grain rice flour.
"Frutonyanya"
Frutonyanya porridges come in two types: rice and buckwheat.
Twelve vitamins and three minerals added. The packaging is marked “hypoallergenic”.
"Bellakt"
This manufacturer produces porridge with two types of cereals - buckwheat and corn.
Added minerals and vitamins. A prebiotic is additionally added to corn grits.
Causes of allergies
Buckwheat porridge is of great benefit to the human body, but it should be used with caution, especially for small children
Buckwheat brings great benefits to the human body, but it should be used with caution, especially for small children.
The main reasons for the reaction will be:
- Individual intolerance to buckwheat.
- Food allergy to protein components of plant origin. The baby’s immunity has not developed and perceives protein as a foreign body with which the body enters into a fight.
- Consumption of mother-feeding buckwheat or early introduction of artificial complementary foods for which buckwheat is used. A baby can develop a pathology even from the breast milk of a mother who consumed this product. Many artificial formulas contain a small amount of buckwheat flour, which can lead to a reaction in the baby. You need to read the composition of the mixtures before purchasing them.
- The presence of cereals in household items, for example, pillows;
- Cross reaction. If a person feels bad from kiwi, beef or milk, then in the event of a cross-reaction, problems may begin with buckwheat.
- Heredity. If one parent (especially the mother) has a food reaction to a product, then the child is more likely to have such a problem.
- Presence of intestinal diseases.
- Lack of enzymes and inhalation of buckwheat dust.
- Improper transportation or storage of cereals, resulting in the appearance of mold, which is an allergen.
All these reasons are prerequisites for the development of allergen intolerance at any age, although this disease is more often characteristic of infants. To avoid this situation, choose low-allergenic formulas for children.
