As we celebrate the World Breastfeeding week, among the things that mothers should be knowledgeable about is allergies that children can get from breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding babies are likely to develop allergies from foods their mothers eat, which pass into the breastmilk. The nutrients in the breast milk come from what the mother eats. However, some children might react to some of these foods.

Though rare, allergies to breastmilk can be a nightmare. The allergy can portray symptoms like rashes and in more severe cases vomiting and difficulty in breathing can be experienced. Although these are symptoms that are related to other illnesses as well, mothers should be on the lookout.

Rashes, eczema, vomiting, reflux, diarrhoea, blood in the stool and difficulty in breathing that are a manifestation of an allergy comes after breastfeeding. Mothers should be very keen  to notice when these symptoms start showing and consult a doctor who will advice you further on how to handle the child.

Children are not allergic to breastmilk itself, but they can react  to some of the food that the mother eats. The common food that children might react to is proteins, nuts, wheat among others.  

In an interview, Fionah shared her experience on how one of her children had an allergy while breastfeeding. Her child portrayed acute eczema and it took six months of treating eczema before it was discovered that the child was allergic to proteins.

After consultation with a nutritionist, Fionah had to stop taking proteins for sometime and later on she started introducing taking proteins slowly while observing how the child was reacting. When she started weaning the child she also introduced the child slowly to proteins and she avoided those that were causing the allergy.

At the moment, Fionah’s child, at six years is comfortably eating all proteins without experiencing allergic reactions.

Allergy testing in infants can be unreliable. However, diagnosis mostly involves monitoring symptoms and eliminating potential allergens from the mother’s diet.

Dr Yusuf Wanjohi, a Nutrition  Consultant at Healthwise Wellness Centre advised mothers that if a baby gets diagnosed with a food allergy while breastfeeding, the mother should eliminate that food from her diet to reduce symptoms.

“Allergies can be a nightmare and can cause serious illnesses if not diagnosed and taken care of early enough. Mothers should be on the look out and raise alarm in case they suspect any allergies in their children,” said Dr Yusuf Wanjohi.