Best Booster Seat Buying Guide

Best Booster Seat Buying Guide

Time surely does fly when you are having fun and being busy playing parents to your baby. Sooner than later, the child you have cuddled so delicately in your arms will be running around the house and will be playing hide and seek with you. He will be talkative and will ask you lots of questions you probably aren’t prepared to answer. Soon he can return the hug you’ve been enveloping him with ever since he was a baby. He will start eating on his own. He will start demanding his own place at the table -- without a high chair. And maybe he’ll start demanding to seat in the car with seat belts on -- like a real adult. He’s grown bigger over the past year, sure, but he’s not that big to wear an adult seat belt yet. He’s not quite there yet, thank heavens. And though you cannot slow down time, you can at least let him sit in a booster car seat while he waits for his turn to wear his adult seat belts.

When your child grows and finally exceeds the height and weight limit of his or her forward facing car seat, it is time for a booster car seat. Seat belts are designed for adults and not until your child can properly wear a seatbelt, you are to provide your child with a booster seat. A seat belt is properly worn when the belt goes over the sternum and the center of the collarbone instead of the neck, and over the upper thighs instead of the abdomen. Booster car seats lift your child up in the vehicle and allow the seat belt to be worn correctly. Simply put, they are belt-positioning seats.

Booster car seats are required by the law in the US except for the states of Florida and South Dakota. Most vehicle seat belts cannot properly fit most children without booster seats until they are at least 10 years of age. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or the NHTSA, however, advises to use proper child restraint systems or booster seats for children who are under 4 feet and 9 inches, no matter their age and weight.​

Once your child has exceeded the height and weight limit of his harnessed car seat or when his ears have reached the top of the seat and his shoulders are above the harness slots, start looking for booster seats. If you are unsure which booster seat to get, read on and let us help you out. We here at ParentsNeeds HQ have prepared a buying guide for the best booster seats to help you pick one the suits you and your child.​

What are the types of booster car seats?

The two types of booster car seats are backless and high-back booster seats. Backless booster seats are portable. They are easy to pack up and move from one car to another in case you use multiple vehicles. Most backless booster seats are kept in place by the weight of the child and by the seat belt, once it is fastened over the child. High-back booster seats may come with a LATCH system, which you can use to keep the seat in place. Unlike backless boosters, high-back seats may be used in vehicles with or without headrests. High-back booster seats are generally recommended more than backless seats since they position the seat belt better. Additionally, they can protect from whiplash and provide side impact protection.

What are the things to consider when choosing the best booster car seat?

● Your child

Keep track of your child’s age, height and weight. These factors will affect the type of seat that you will need. Car safety seats come with height and weight limitations. It is important to choose one that is fit for your child because the car safety seat’s effectivity largely depends your child’s compatibility with the booster seat.

● Your car

Familiarize yourself with your car by reading your owner’s manual. Find out the vehicle’s features regarding car safety seats and if it is equipped with the LATCH system. It is only practical to figure out whether a booster seat will be compatible with your vehicle or not. Whether your car has a headrest or not and if it has low-seatbacks will also determine its compatibility with the booster seat of your choice.

What are the features to look for in the best booster car seat?

● High safety rating

The best booster car seat will have a high safety rating, meaning it has undergone crash tests that have proven its effectivity in preventing injury or at least keeping it to a minimum in an event of a collision. It might be helpful to check out the list of booster seats with high safety ratings from organizations that conduct independent crash tests. Consumer reports, for example, have been conducting crash tests for more than 30 years. They provide updated lists of car safety seats with high safety ratings.

● LATCH system

The LATCH system (Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHildren) allows the booster seat to be installed in vehicles equipped with latch connectors. Vehicle models starting from year 2002 are all compatible with car seats that have LATCH connectors.

● Adjustable headrest / harness / harness height

A booster seat that comes with adjustable headrest, harness and harness height is an ideal car safety seat for children who are barely big enough to use booster seats but have outgrown their forward facing car seats. They might still be too small to achieve proper belt positioning with the help of booster seats so a harness might still be the best option for them. Booster seats with adjustable restraint systems will allow your child to be safely fastened until they are big enough to use the seat belts as restraints.

● Impact absorbing foam

The best booster seat will have impact absorbing foam that will protect your child from injuries in an event of a crash.

● Side protection

Choose a booster seat that provides side protection as well in case the point of impact will come from the sides of the vehicle, instead of from the front or back.

● Removable seat cover

Look for a booster seat that comes with a removable seat cover. This will render the car seat easy to clean and maintain.

● Positioning clips

Some booster seats come with belt-positioning clips that guide the vehicle’s seat belt. These clips ensure that the seat belts fit your child correctly.

● Easy to install

If you are going to use multiple vehicles, choose easy to install booster car seats. The easier it is to install a car seat, the bigger the chance of you installing it correctly and properly without taking too much of your time. A good booster seat that is easy to install will have a manufacturer’s instructions that is easy to understand. The seat itself should have come with color guides or codes that will make the installation process a piece of cake. Some models also come with indicators that prompt you when you have installed the seat correctly.

● Comfort

A comfortable booster seat will make for a comfortable ride with your little one. If your child is riding in comfort, you can expect a smooth drive. The best booster seat will have a comfortable mold and soft, cushioned linings that can soothe your child. Some models can also be reclined, which can further help your child relax or even take a nap during the car ride.

● Auxiliary

Additional features like cup holders and pockets can come in handy and useful. These additional support can keep your child’s basic needs within his reach, while he is safely fastened in his seat.

How to buy booster car seats:

• Determine your child’s readiness for a booster car seat. Keep in mind that different car safety seats cater to different age groups. This means that the kind of protection a forward facing car seat can give to babies more than two years of age will not be the same kind of protection it can provide to infants who are meant to be seated in infant car seats. The same goes for booster car seats. As you move up a type of car safety seat, the level of protection reduces so it is best to ensure that your child is indeed booster seat ready.
• Test the booster car seat in your vehicle to determine its compatibility with your car. Have your child seat in it as well to determine if the booster car seat is the right size for both your child and your car.
• Do your research and read up on booster car seat models. Look for models with high safety ratings. Survey consumer reviews and see what models comes highly recommended. It is also important to check out the list of car seats that were recalled during the past years because of safety issues.
• Prepare your budget. A good backless booster seat will cost you around $25 while a quality high-back booster seat will run you around $100 to $250.
• Once purchased, keep your receipt and keep track of your booster car seat’s serial number in case of recalls in the future or in case your unit needs to be replaced because of a defect.

Important tips and reminders to keep in mind:

• Avoid second hand units with an unknown or unreliable history. Car safety seats are crash tested and rated for one time collisions only. Buying a second hand unit might unknowingly leave you with a car seat that has already been in a crash. Units that have already been in a collision, whether a child was in it or not, should no longer be used.
• Booster car seats have weight limits. So do the LATCH anchors that hold the seats in place. Read the specified weight limits indicated in the manufacturer’s manual and follow their safety guidelines. Generally, once the combined weight of the car seat and the child has exceeded 65 lbs, it is advised that the vehicle’s seat belt be used to hold the seat in place.
• Ways to tell if your child is ready for a booster seat: 1) when he has exceeded the height and weight limit of his forward facing car seat, 2) the shoulder harness slots are already below your child’s shoulders, or 3) his head has already reached the top of his forward facing car seat.
• When using a backless booster seat, your vehicle must have headrests that are above the ears of your child.
• You will know that the booster seat is the right fit for your child when once the booster is installed in the car and you have your child sit in it, he is comfortably seated all the way against the backseat. His knees should be bent at the seat edge and his legs should not be sticking straight out.
• Check for correct belt positioning once your child is fastened. The seat belt should go across the thighs and not on the abdomen. The shoulder belt should land cross the center of the chest, between the collarbone and sternum, and not on the neck.
• The middle rear seat is the best position to place the booster seat since this spot keeps your child protected from impacts that may come from the side.

Our Recommendation

You are down to the final car safety seat for your child before he starts using the adult seat belt on his own. By now you are probably just about ready to get it over with, but before making that trip to your local store to buy one, let us present to you our Top 5 Best Booster Seats. We here at ParentsNeeds HQ only want the best for you and your precious one so we have accepted the challenge to round up a number of booster car seat models and put them head to head to see which is the best. Our list includes both backless and high-back boosters to ensure you have enough options to choose from, whichever type of booster seat you are in the market for. One model has to come out on top. Read here and find out why we chose Britax Frontier Clicktight Combination Harness-2 Booster Car Seat as our top one.

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Originally posted 2016-08-25 06:26:36.

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Top 5 Best Baby Changing Tables | 2017 Reviews

You are always in a constant need to look for a suitable place where you can change your baby’s diaper. You would always have the need to change your baby’s diaper at least every two to three hours that’s about six to eight times a day at least. The problem comes when you’re running out of comfy places to change your baby’s diaper in.

If you do it on the bed, you might risk some undesirables slipping on your sheets. If you use a mat, oftentimes when the need comes to immediately change your baby’s diaper, you forgot where it is. If you do it on any surface, your baby might get fussy and uncomfortable. It’s a real puzzle sometimes when it comes to really choosing where you should be changing your baby’s diapers.

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Quick Comparison Table

Athena Leila 2 Drawer Changer

Ikea Stuva Changing Table with 4 Drawers

South Shore Angel Changing Table

Badger Basket Baby Changing Table

Babyletto Hudson Changing Dresser

This is when the handy baby changing table becomes a life saver. You have everything you need in it because it practically has compartments for everything that you need: diapers, baby wipes, powder, diaper rash cream and everything else that you need to keep your baby’s bottom clean and comfy.

There are so many baby changing tables out there—now they’re even combined with baby dressers—and all comes with perks that you might not even be aware of. Anyway, be assured that we have already given this a thought and tested out quite a number of these tables and came out with the top 5 best baby changing tables in the market. You don’t need to worry much about buying something you will soon later regret. Here is our list of best changing table dresser combo or just simply the best baby changing table.

Quick Comparison Table

Athena Leila 2 Drawer Changer	Ikea Stuva Changing Table with 4 Drawers	South Shore Angel Changing Table	Badger Basket Baby Changing Table	Babyletto Hudson Changing Dresser
$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$	$$$

Athena Leila 2 Drawer Changer

Some mommies and daddies change their babies on the bed, on the floor, on a counter or anything that they can just put their baby on flat on his/ her back. Well, you don’t really have to be that undecided and also unhygienic for your child. Changing your baby’s diaper in any place may expose them to bacteria lurking around the corners and we don’t want that for our children now do we? Then, this baby dresser organizer might be the right pick for you.

Ranking as our top best changing table dresser combo is the Athena Leila 2 Drawer Changer. The first reason why we, at ParentsNeed HQ, love this changing table is because it’s sturdy. It is made of wood and it was designed to create an ideal space for your baby to change his/ her diaper. It comes in two colors: Cherry, and white.

The reason why we love this best baby dresser is because it is really easy to assemble with a very easy-to-follow manual of instructions to assemble the drawer. What’s another thing that’s so great about this table or combo is that it comes with a wide drawer space where you can add an extra basket or two making it become a host for the best diaper changing kit ever available.

This works perfectly well with any household because for a changing baby dresser, it works well as just a simple dresser in any room. If you no longer need that changing table for baby, especially when they’ve already graduated from the diapers, then you don’t necessarily have to sell it to gain something from it. Because it is designed like a dresser, it makes a perfect corner changing table or simply just as corner table. It also works well with other furniture and fixtures you might have in your house.

This best baby changing dresser is perfect for every household simply because it is spacious; it has plenty of huge compartments to put all the diaper changing needs and even your baby’s clothes together. It’s an all-around furniture that your baby definitely needs. Although, you have to beware of the assembly of this baby diaper changer because it has plenty of smaller fixtures that are pretty difficult to put together.

Details of the Athena Leila 2 Drawer Changer
Colors	White, Cherry
Weight	61.7 pounds
Dimensions	35.8 x 18.9 x 35.8 inches
Compartments	three drawers, one open cabinet
Weight Capacity	not more than 20 pounds
Special Features	Wide, furniture-like- fixtures

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Ikea Stuva Changing Table with 4 Drawers

Modern modern modern chic! Those are the best words we could ever describe this Ikea changing table dresser. This modern chic table comes in such a simple and contemporary design; you might actually just want to buy it because of the way it looks. Anyway, there are so many reasons why we love this baby dresser Ikea made for us.

First of all, this Ikea baby changing table is made of Medium Density Fiberboard or MDF. MDF is a building material that is made out of wood fibers. It is strengthened with resin, heat and pressure making it a really sturdy and eco-friendly alternative for plywood. Not only is it light but it is also very environment-friendly. It uses baby safe chemicals like acrylic for paint that doesn’t have many chemical threats to our babies who will be constantly borrowing the help of this changing table Ikea has designed.

We love the fact that this is so customizable. Upon assembling it, you can adjust the height the suits you and your family well. The shelving units may also be changed depending on how you want them to be put. But the fact always remains that is comes with differently sized drawers, and three divisions that you can use for other storage purposes. This baby dresser Ikea has created is also multipurpose; the changing station on the dresser is detachable and can be flipped over to use it as a desk.

You can also use this Ikea baby changing table as a practical shelving unit once your baby has already shifted from diapers to potty. The practical function of this best baby dresser changing table will never lose its purpose.

Ikea Stuva Changing Table with 4 Drawers
Colors	All-white outer casing withdrawers in colors: Orange, White, Blue, Birch, Black, Pink
Weight	53.4 pounds
Dimensions	35.4 x 31.1 x 40 inches
Compartments	Four drawers and three shelving units
Weight Capacity	good for babies up to two years
Special Features	MDF-material, eco-friendly, non-toxic paint, lightweight

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South Shore Angel Changing Table

You will know a good set of drawers if you see one and definitely, looking at the South Shore Angel Changing Table will definitely tell you, ‘sturdy’. This heavy wooden baby changing dresser can also handle children aged 4 or more—you wouldn’t really expect your child to still be wearing diapers at that age, do you?

We really love recommending this product because it is made of non-toxic laminated particle board. It is also a cheap changing table that fits every mom and dad’s budget but is sure to last for a long time. We love that this is very practical and it easily matches your living room furniture. It also easily matches with the colors of your beds and other furniture around the house. It makes a good changing corner for baby as it has all the differently sized drawers that answers to all the requirements of the best diaper changing kit.

The only trouble with this one is that it’s pretty heavy so assembling it can be a slight hassle but nonetheless; its easy to understand instruction manual is very detailed that assembling it won’t need two pairs of hands.

We also like the South Shore Angel Changing Table because it comes with a touch-up marker. So if in case you were less than careful in assembling your baby’s South Shore Angel Changing Table, then you can just touch-up the dents and scratches with the touch-up marker. Once again, it is a baby changing dresser that really looks nice in your living room, your small corner in the house for baby or the baby room. Wherever you put this is, it will always feel like it belongs.

Another thing to remember about this changing table for small spaces is that you can completely remove the allotted space for the best travel changing pad and use the top of the dresser as a practical display space. You don’t have to worry about where you should put this baby changer when diapers are no longer on your buying list of baby items. You can just move it to your bedroom and use it as your own dresser.

Details of the South Shore Angel Changing Table
Colors	Black, White, Espresso
Weight	127 pounds
Dimensions	17 x 47.2 x 40 inches
Compartments	Drawers
Weight Capacity	not more than 50 pounds
Special Features	heavy wood, detachable changing station

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Badger Basket Baby Changing Table

There is always something so warm in basket drawers. They offer this really nice and rustic gentle feel that you just can’t seem to shake off and it just seems like it’s a perfect and motherly design that is suitable for our babies.

Badger Basket Baby Changing Table is one of a kind. You won’t often find basket cabinets in the market and more so with a baby changing space on top so you can change your baby’s diaper without having to worry about getting your bed sheets soiled.

It is made up of strong metal posts that can handle your baby up to 25 pounds. It also comes with a safety railing so you are sure that your baby won’t roll off while you change his/her diaper. The changing station is lined with hardwood with a non-toxic finish to ensure your baby’s health. We also love the fact that this best baby changing dresser isn’t picky about the size of pads used on it. It uses the standard size for any of the best travel changing pad.

This cheap changing table is nothing less of a quality but rather a very inexpensive must have for mommies. It comes with many features that include a safety belt just in case you have a very active child. It also comes with a contour changing pad.

It is a good way to keep your nursery room tidy and organized. It even has these card holders to label what is inside each basket. Not only is this aesthetically wonderful, it is also fairly easy to clean. You can easily wipe the metal bars with a damp cloth and not worry about molds or termite infestation while you can just dump the baskets into the washing machine for a nice quick and easy clean.

This is a practical and light way to keep your baby’s things organized. You are also guaranteed to have this as a keeper long after your baby grows out of the diaper era. In fact, it makes a good storing cabinet for tiny clothes or light blankets or still as a baby dresser organizer for your little one’s stuff. However, it is not made for heavy storage since the basket supports are also made of cloth and not wooden panels that support the baskets in place.

Details of the Badger Basket Baby Changing Table
Colors	Espresso, Black, Cherry, Grey, Birch, White
Weight	41 pounds
Dimensions	19 x 37.5 x 37.5 inches
Compartments	6 basket containers
Weight Capacity	no more than 30 pounds
Special Features	removable basket cabinets, shelving unit

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Babyletto Hudson Changing Dresser

Along with this nursery changing table is a Babyletto contour changing pad, to give your babe a soft and comfortable cushion while he/she gets his/ her diaper changed. Your baby will surely love this item, no doubt and so would you.

The Babyletto Hudson Changing Dresser comes with perks you will definitely enjoy. Firstly, you don’t need to change your baby’s diaper elsewhere and leave those strains of pee or baby crap on sheet or the carpet. Secondly, the design is so simplistic yet so beautiful; it makes wonderful clean looking furniture. Thirdly, it’s practical to use since it has three drawers and a cabinet with inner shelves.

The small changing table dresser comes with metal gliders that allow you to smooth out those drawers without having to worry about it getting stuck in the casing. This is truly one of the best changing tables for babies because it includes an anti-tip kit. We know how playful children loves climbing stuff and this dresser won’t tip even if they do go on top of it—although, you still have to be careful and keep a watchful eye, it may not tip but they may fall off.

What’s good about this is that it is compact. It doesn’t overwhelm your nursery room or any of the space you intend to put it in. it is just exactly the right size for you and your baby so that you can enjoy a wider looking room (especially in a petite home) with just as much useful space as you can get. Not only does this baby changing table toppers have spaces or carved baskets in them to put your changing diaper kit essentials, it also come off to reveal a flat top cover for your dresser. With this, it can outgrow the diaper changing function as much as your baby outgrows his/ her diaper for underwear.

You won’t go wrong with this product. The only hassle you end up facing is a one-time big-time difficulty in assembling this piece of lovable furniture.

Details of the Babyletto Hudson Changing Dresser
Colors	All-white drawers with outer casings colored: White, Grey, Washed Natural White, Espresso
Weight	69 pounds
Dimensions	39.8 x 19.2 x 37 inches
Compartments	three drawers, one cabinet with inner shelf
Weight Capacity	no more than 30 pounds
Special Features	metal gliders, anti-tip kit, detachable changing table

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Your baby’s needs are always a priority, no matter what they are wonderful furniture that will keep your baby safe, healthy and comfortable. It is one of the best things we could do for our growing bundle of crazy love and joy. So treat your little tot to the best diaper changing table instead of changing her on the carpet or any other bed out there.

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How to Spot Food Allergies in Babies and How to Deal with It

How to Spot Food Allergies in Babies and How to Deal with It

One of the significant highlights of rearing an infant is for them to start eating solid food on the sixth month. After months of feeding the baby with only breastmilk or formula, many parents look forward to the day of giving their babies spoonfuls of pureed veggies or fruits. This event is very exciting but comes with concerns about food allergies in babies. It is a bit overwhelming to try out many baby food recipes but take note that you must introduce solid food little by little. In this way, it will be easier to point out what food causes what allergy.

Food allergies take place when the immune system reacts and releases the chemical referred to as histamine. The body encounters an unfamiliar proteins and this is how it responds. Histamine leads to allergy signs and symptoms. A severe form of allergy called anaphylaxis which will be discussed later can endanger the life of a child.

Science is still working in search of the answer on why there was a sudden rise of allergic diseases in the world. There is a circulating claim called ‘Hygiene Hypothesis’ which indicates that this modern, germ-free-obsessed world is making the immune system incapable of recognizing a more diverse kind of bacterias and viruses. With the body being “too clean”, it becomes sensitive to even harmless things such as food ingredients, air, or pollens. Recent surveys show that at least one or two children in a class has to deal with food allergies.

Common Food Items that Cause Allergies

Parents nowadays are keeping a keen eye for any allergic reactions that come from food. With the introduction of new food items almost every day, it pays to have knowledge on the causes of food allergies in children. Research show that there are more than a hundred of allergenic foods identified by experts but these eight have the most reported cases:

• Egg
• Tree nuts
• Milk
• Wheat
• Shellfish
• Fish
• Peanuts
• Soybeans

Since the food items mentioned above may be or may not be abundant in other countries, the numbers of kids with food allergies differs from one location to another. In the United States, Australia, and the UK, many children experience allergies from tree nuts and peanuts while infants from Asia and Europe are more affected with food allergens from fish, wheat, and soy.

Always Check Food Labels

In the United States, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) requires food manufacturers to disclose presence of major food allergens in the list of ingredients. These pieces of information should be cited on the food labels using plain language. This act covers food items such as infant formulas, medical food, dietary supplements, and regular food items. The allergenic ingredients can also be mentioned in the following formats:

• Using the word “Contains” plus the specific food allergen
• Or enclosed in the parenthesis when the derived product is used instead of the actual allergenic food
• Food manufacturers must specify the particular kind of shellfish or nut used in the products

FALCPA has simplified the way for consumers to read the food labels. This is in support of families who are concern with the presence of major food allergens in the products people consume everyday. This also prevents food companies to adhere to good production practices and print labels that are truthful.

It is a must to always browse the food labels to avoid believing misleading information. Ingredients in food often change without notice and so it is advisable to be on the lookout for any ingredients that may cause allergies in the family.​

Symptoms of a Food Allergy

Allergy is actually a overreacting defensive response of the body against food, substance, or elements in the air. It is only natural for the immune system to fight off viruses looming in the environment. The body’s defense system has already identified that this will impose danger to one’s health.

Symptoms of food allergies can range from mild to severe and can differ on many occasions. Initial reactions may be minimal but this can turn into a full-blown allergy the next time. A life-threatening form of allergic reaction is anaphylaxis which can lead to difficulty in breathing. It causes the victim’s heart rate and blood pressure to plummet. This can occur within minutes after the person consumed a food allergen.

Take note that symptoms are the conditions experience first-hand by the affected person. Symptoms of food allergies in toddlers and infants can appear immediately after the food is eaten -- within a few minutes to a couple of hours, and can worsen when not treated as soon as possible. If you’re introducing a new food to your baby, keep an eye out for these symptoms:​

• Lip, tongue, and face swelling
• Baby acne
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Hives
• Dizziness
• Hard, repetitive coughs
• Pale skin and lip
• Watery eyes

There are cases that symptoms are delayed for a few hours. These are rare incidents but occur in children who had eczema due to food allergy in the past. A delayed food allergy symptom can be caused by Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) which affects the gastrointestinal tract.

FPIES is a protein-induced syndrome and signs can appear two to four hours after infant’s consumption of solid food with milk, soy, or wheat. Babies who are introduced to solid food early on often encounter this allergic reaction. FPIES involves the following symptoms:​

• Excessive vomiting
• Bloody diarrhea
• Weightloss
• Dehydration

How are Food Allergies Diagnosed?

Food allergy symptoms, its extent, and condition, can vary from one child to another. As discussed earlier, allergic reactions can affect the face, skin, GI tract, and even the cardiovascular activity of the body. It is unpredictable how severe the next allergic reaction can be but it is recommended for parents of children with food allergies to be observant of the food the family eats.

Food allergies can appear at any age but it often take place during the early childhood. If you see signs of allergic reactions in your child, book an appointment with an allergist who can administer several infant allergy tests. The results of these test can help the allergist make a diagnosis. The expert can also ask these essential questions:​

1. What was the food consumed by the child?
2. How much portion of the food was eaten?
3. How long it took for the initial symptoms to appear?
4. How long did the symptoms lasted?
5. What were these symptoms?

A skin-prick test can be done in less than 30 minutes. The allergist will expose a portion of the child’s skin to a liquid with food allergen and observes if tiny bumps start to develop. The skin will also be exposed to a liquid without the food allergen to serve as the control for the test. This will produce a more accurate test results as two samples can be compared side by side. This test is not painful but can be quite uncomfortable for a child.

The allergist can also perform blood test to the child to detect the presence of food-specific immunoglobulin E in his or her body. Unlike skin test results that can be determined after some minutes, blood tests results can take about a week to be released.

In the event that both skin-prick and blood tests were not able to give clear results, the allergist can conduct an oral food test wherein the patient will be fed with the suspected food which triggered the allergies. This is done under strict supervision of the doctors and then followed by several hours of observation. This test is effective especially to check if the patient has outgrown his or her allergies over time.

Only experienced allergists can conduct the oral food challenge as worse allergic reaction may take place. Complete emergency equipment should be available when this kind of test is administered.​

Treatment of Food Allergies

Bring your baby to his or her pediatrician when you spot mild symptoms like rashes and hives on your the skin. Once the diagnosis is made and the specific allergen is identified, the doctor will explain how to manage these allergies. It usually starts with eliminating the food that caused the allergies from baby’s meal plan.

During the visit to the doctor, don’t hesitate to ask questions related to food allergic reaction in infants.

Keep a small notebook handy so you will be able to document the manifestation of the symptoms. You can note how the allergic reactions develop in your child and the condition of the symptoms on a daily basis.

Most pediatrics recommended that parents delay the introduction of food items that contains eggs, nuts, and fish to infants. Parents can wait up until the baby is a year old before including these items to the baby’s diet.

Anaphylaxis, the fatal form of allergic reaction, can be treated with an immediate injection of epinephrine or commonly known as adrenaline. This is a natural-occurring substance in the body that relaxes the muscles and increases blood flow.

When an affected person is having difficulty in breathing due to allergic reactions, an epinephrine injection is administered. When receptors recognize this, smooth muscles on the airways subsides. This enables the heart and lungs to be back to normal. However, remember that an injection of this is only temporary solution against allergies.​

Are Food Allergies Inheritable Traits?

When you bring your child to an allergist, it is an SOP for the doctor to check the family’s medical history before performing any tests.

Allergies can run from one generation to another but it is still an unpredictable phenomenon. If you suspect that your child may have the risk of developing allergies, wait until your baby is a year old before introducing any of the top eight major food allergens. Make sure to coordinate with your pediatrician regularly.

Be familiar with your child’s diet and check if he or she have potential reaction to related food. There are circumstances where an individual is allergic to shrimp but not with fish or crab meat. It is somewhat a trial and error to check what food items in the same “family” your child may be allergic. This is the reason why you should work closely with a certified allergist.​

Does the Diet of a Breastfeeding Mom Influence Baby’s Food Allergies?

When food allergies in breastfed babies happen, you can’t help but wonder if it is still safe to continue breastfeeding your infant. The answer is yes.

You may find this as an unconventional answer but babies are prone to develop allergies even though they have not been fed with any food or given milk formula. However, it is still advisable to watch your diet when breastfeeding your infant to avoid triggering other forms of food allergies. You can set restrictions on the proteins you consume since these can emerge in the breast milk after a few hours. There are no particular foods to avoid but be careful with what you eat especially if your baby has already mild symptoms of food allergies.

Mothers are encouraged to still breastfeed amidst the baby’s food allergies because the breast milk is packed with vitamins and minerals that will keep the baby healthy and immune against diseases and infections. Moreover, breastfeeding creates a special connection between the mother and child. It is a form of bonding that both the mom and the baby can enjoy.

You can always adjust your diet and consume only dairy products occasionally. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits, take calcium supplements, and multivitamins. Remember to scrutinize food labels and look out for allergens that may be present in the ingredient list.

Since babies are still not conscious about their food intake, parents carry a huge responsibility when it comes to their child’s meal preparation. It is a fact that parents want the food that can provide nutrients to their kids but it is a preventative measure to do a bit of research before adding new items on the child’s menu.​

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