78. Ask the Expert: Food Allergy ft. Dr. Jenny Huang

There is one question I get from parents which is most associated with anxiety and worry that one wrong move could be catastrophic. These are the questions about introducing new foods and worries about food allergies. 

So this week, I have an expert in food allergies on the Docs2Dads podcast to answer the questions you have around the dinner table about Food Allergies.

In this episode we discuss:

Infants
What signs should Breastfeeding parents look for to think about elimination diets

What signs should parents look for to think about changing formulas?

Is there such a thing as hypoallergenic formula? How do they work?

Food introduction
What are the rules for food introduction? Are these helpful or more stress for parents than it’s worth?

Do parents have to stick to same food for multiple days?

Can we only introduce one new food every 3-4 days?


Common Food Allergies and Risk Factors

What’s the likelihood that a kid would be allergic to a food that isn’t one of the Big 6?

When should parents offer higher-risk foods based on age and risk factors?

Who should think about seeing an allergy specialist before introducing certain foods?

Can kids develop food allergies at any age or does it tend to show up early in life?

Responding to and Managing Food Allergies
What should a parent do in the rare case their child has an allergic reaction to a food?

Once kids show signs of allergy is there anything to allow them to eat those foods again or do they have to avoid those foods completely?

For families living with food allergies, are there resources to know if the foods they are allergic to are in certain foods?

Food Allergies and Food Insecurity
Difficulties faced by food-allergic families getting food resources.
Alternative donation ideas to support food-allergic families.

Helpful Resources:
FARE: Food Allergy Research and Education
Find a Food Allergy Safe Food Bank Near You