How will I know if my child suffers from food intolerance?

In this article below, highly qualified and experienced consultant paediatrician, Dr Ajith Prasad, outlines the main differences between food intolerances and food allergies, as well as telling us what the most common food intolerances in children are.

What are common food intolerances in children?

The most common one is lactose intolerance, which is an intolerance to manage the lactose (all dairy products). People with lactose intolerance often suffer from diarrhoea and cramps. A less common food intolerance is gluten intolerance, mainly to wheat. Other types of food intolerances include intolerance to food colouring and artificial sweeteners.

How are food intolerances different from food allergies?

The basic difference is that food intolerance directly affects the bowel and gut after eating a particular food, whereas allergy is an immunological response. With allergies, the immune system gets involved, and can be harmed in certain people after eating certain foods with certain proteins.

Food intolerances are not related to the immune system, whereas food allergies are. Food allergies can affect many more parts of the body. The other difference is that food intolerance symptoms are usually delayed, sometimes after a whole day, while symptoms related to food allergies usually present quite quickly after the person digests the food.

Symptoms of food intolerance are never usually life-threatening, whereas symptoms of food allergies are.

Are food intolerances hereditary?

We have seen cases of food intolerances running in families, yes. However, there is no strict genetic pattern of food intolerance in families.

How do I know if my child suffers from food intolerance?

Various symptoms can indicate food intolerance. The symptoms are mainly related to the gut and bowel. The main symptoms to watch out for include:

• vomiting
• gas in the tummy
• diarrhoea
• tummy pain (baby crying all the time)

The most effective way to diagnose a food intolerance is by the patient keeping a food diary.

To schedule a consultation with Dr Ajith Prasad, simply head on over to his Top Doctors profile today.