Allergy is a common phenomenon, especially for infants and young children who are more prone to allergies. For example, formula allergy symptoms are relatively common, and babies may have symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and eczema. In these cases, mothers must insist on breastfeeding, stay away from allergen-rich diets, and change different brands of formula in a timely manner.

How to determine if a baby has formula allergy, you first need to understand what symptoms of formula allergy are.

Allergic reactions can be divided into two types: immediate-type and delayed-type food allergic reactions. Immediate-type usually occurs within 2 hours after eating food containing allergens, and the symptoms are usually severe. Delayed-type generally occurs several hours or several days after eating, and the symptoms are relatively mild. In addition to diarrhea, abdominal pain, skin itching, urticaria, and eczema, milk protein allergy can also cause symptoms such as difficulty breathing and blood pressure drop, which are life-threatening.

People who are allergic to milk may also have cross-reactive allergic reactions: they may also be allergic to goat milk, animal fur, meat, legumes, and eggs. Milk allergy has a certain genetic tendency, especially for children with a family history of allergies.

How to deal with baby formula allergy? Is changing baby formula effective? Many mothers have raised such questions online. The following are the methods to avoid baby formula allergy:

1. Stick to breastfeeding. The best way to prevent allergies is to breastfeed, and it is best to continue breastfeeding until one year or even older, as breast milk usually does not cause allergic reactions.

2. Diet away from allergens. Limit the intake of foods that may cause allergies, such as milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, and nuts. For high-risk infants, start eating solid foods after six months, start eating cheese products after one year, start eating eggs after two years, and start eating peanuts, walnuts, and fish after three years.

3. Change baby formula. If a baby is allergic to ordinary formula milk, it is necessary to change to hypoallergenic formula milk in a timely manner. If it is confirmed that the baby is allergic to milk protein, ‘allergy-free formula’ or ‘soybean protein formula’ can be used to improve the condition. For babies with a high risk of allergy due to a strong family history of allergies, the risk of allergy can be reduced by completely breastfeeding or using ‘allergy-free formula’; using ‘partially hydrolyzed formula’ may also have a similar effect.