Posted
19/01/2012 11:55:00
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Filed under Our Experts
At Allergy UK we receive lots of calls from worried parents who think that their baby might be allergic to cows’ milk. This can, of course, be a very worrying time for parents. That’s why it’s so important to know what to do and how to get the best advice.
Cows’ milk protein allergy is one of the most common allergies in young babies, but thankfully, many children grow out of this as they get older.
Food allergies occur when the body’s immune system becomes confused, and reacts to what for most people are harmless proteins in foods, such as cows’ milk. It is the release of the chemical histamine during this reaction that causes the typical symptoms that we recognise as allergy. These include a red itchy rash around baby’s mouth, hives (rash) on the body, runny nose, and vomiting or diarrhoea. Sometimes symptoms come on much more slowly, which can make them more difficult to spot. These are known as delayed allergies and may cause chronic symptoms such as eczema, reflux, colic, poor growth, diarrhoea or constipation.
From my experience working on the Allergy UK helpline for many years, I know that parents need support through this difficult time. Trying to establish whether or not their baby has cows’ milk protein allergy, and finding out what they can do to manage it, can be a frightening time for parents, particularly when baby is very unwell. At Allergy UK we can give parents advice on how to get help from their GP or healthcare professional, what to expect if they are sent to an allergy clinic, types of alternative milks that are available, and what food products they are likely to find cows’ milk proteins in.
We are pleased to have teamed up with Aptamil to help parents get the best support and understand their baby’s cows’ milk protein allergy. Download our online leaflet for information on what to expect from your GP or healthcare professional and tips to help you make the most of your appointments, or take part in our survey to share your experiences of having a baby with cows’ milk protein allergy and be in with a chance to win one of 30 £30 vouchers from Mamas & Papas.
Posted
05/01/2012 08:24:00
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Filed under Our Experts
Hello everyone, if your toddler is between the ages of one and two, you’re probably wondering when they’ll start to talk properly. From the age of three or four months they’ll have been making noises that sound like words and gradually learning to say words you recognise. Many toddlers say their first proper words around the time of their first birthday. Most early words are repeated, so if you say “spaghetti” you can expect to hear something like “geddy”. Soon afterwards they’ll add pitch and intonation; all learned by listening to the way you say things. As your toddler get older speech becomes an important tool for helping them express themselves and get what they want. That’s why it’s so important to encourage them as much as you can by repeating words and naming objects.
Between the ages of one and a half and two your toddler should be able to learn around ten new words a day, so be careful what you say! They’ll also start to put words together to make short sentences, like “carry me” or “more juice”. They’ll understand more than they can articulate, which can be frustrating for both of you, so try to be patient and encourage them as much as you can. Pronouns like “I” can be quite difficult to grasp, so they may avoid using them for a while yet. And volume control is still something that they’ll be trying to work out.
By the ages of two and three your toddler should know around 300 words and will probably be quite a little chatterbox! Their speech should be quite sophisticated now and they’ll be able to keep a conversation going and adjust their tone according to what they’re saying. Throughout each stage of your toddler’s speech development, it’s important to keep talking to them.
By naming objects and people, introducing new words and asking them questions they’re learning about language and how to use it. Try not to finish their sentences for them all the time and make deliberate mistakes so they can correct you – they love it when you get things wrong and it proves they’re listening to you!
You can find out more about toddler development in the article on our website. Alternatively, if you’ve got any questions about their speech or need some tips to help them along, please get in touch. Many of our experts are mums too, so we’ve been through it all before.
Nicky 
Allergy and Feeding Expert
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Posted
20/12/2011 08:24:00
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Filed under Our Experts
Hello everyone, if you’re starting to feel a little anxious about labour and giving birth, you might find it reassuring to start preparing for the big day. Talking to your birth partner about their role during labour and agreeing on the kind of birth you’d like to have is a good place to start. Our downloadable birth plan sets things out clearly, so why not have a look at it together? Just remember that it’s only a plan and things may go differently on the day. So you’ll both need to keep an open mind.
If you haven’t chosen a birth partner yet, don’t worry, there’s still time! Many mums-to-be choose the baby’s father but it can be a friend, family member or doula. Whoever you choose, make sure you can be yourself with them because you probably won’t feel like being on your best behaviour during labour!
Your birth partner will be extremely important to you. They’ll act as an extra pair of ears and eyes for you in the delivery room, helping you understand what’s going on or make decisions. They’ll also be able to give you lots of emotional support as well as practical things like turning on your TENS machine and fetching drinks and snacks! But while their main focus will be on you, it’s important that they look after themselves too. Labour lasts as long as it lasts and if yours happens to be a long one, they’ll need to be able to keep going. That’s why it’s a good idea for them to take food and drinks with them to the hospital, just in case you’re not close to a vending machine.
You’ll find lots of tips and articles on our website about labour and birth including all sorts of topics from packing your hospital bag to positions for labour. And our experts are here too if you need any advice or have any questions. Just remember that discussing things now can help you both feel more relaxed and confident about labour when the time comes.
Ruth
Pregnancy and Baby Feeding Expert
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Posted
07/12/2011 09:24:00
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Filed under Our Experts
Hello everyone. A well balanced diet can be very beneficial during pregnancy. However, if you are advised or wish to take additional supplements and vitamins, make sure you only take multivitamins made especially for pregnancy and always check with your healthcare professional first. In this article I want to talk about folic acid, vitamin D and iron.
Folic acid, a type of B vitamin, is essential for your baby's development and helps prevent neural tube defects, like spina bifida. It’s very difficult to get the recommended amount of folic acid from your diet, so it's recommended that you take 400µg as a supplement every day, ideally prior to conception through to the 12th week of pregnancy.
For the healthy bone growth of your developing baby you need vitamin D. This is made naturally by the skin through the absorption of UV rays from sunlight. However, given our British weather, the sun is only strong enough to have this effect from April through to October, so experts advise all pregnant and breastfeeding women to take a daily supplement of 10μg vitamin D per day.
Iron is another crucial nutrient. It's essential for the transport of oxygen by blood cells and during pregnancy the volume of blood being pumped around your body increases because of the development of the placenta and your baby. Your baby also needs iron for their developing brain.
Low iron levels can lead to anaemia, which leaves you feeling tired, washed-out, short of breath and generally unwell. Generally speaking you should maintain a healthy level of iron by simply eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of meat, green leafy vegetables, iron-fortified bread, pulses and dried fruit. Where possible it is best to get iron from your diet rather than supplements, unless you are diagnosed with anaemia. You’ll be tested for anaemia during your first antenatal appointment and again at 28 weeks and if your levels are low, you’ll be prescribed an iron supplement. It’s worth remembering that vitamin C helps your body absorb iron. So try to drink fruit juice or eat fresh fruit with, or after, every meal and avoid drinking tea or coffee within 30 minutes of your meal as they can actually reduce iron absorption.
Posted
01/12/2011 15:44:00
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Filed under Our Experts
Hi
There are plenty of housewive's tales regarding what to eat to help you conceive. And they are by and large just that – housewive's tales.
For the best chance of conception, couples should eat a healthy balanced diet. Both partners should make sure they get all the essential nutrients that their reproductive systems need to work properly. There are a number of important nutrients For example, for women, folic acid is recommended to prevent spina bifida, and other nutrients like zinc and selenium are needed by both sexes for a healthy reproductive system.
When it comes to what to drink, try to keep your caffeine intake to a minimum. An American study discovered that drinking over 300mg (around 3 mugs) of coffee a day could lower a woman's chance of conceiving by 27%, when compared to non-coffee drinkers. In the UK, the Department of Health recommends you drink no more than 200mg a day (approximately two mugs).
If you want to give yourself every chance of becoming pregnant, the government advise that you should avoid alcohol. If you do choose to drink, to minimise the risk to your baby, they recommend drinking no more than 1-2 units of alcohol once or twice a week and not getting drunk. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides further advice to women to avoid alcohol in the first three months of pregnancy in particular, because of the increased risk of miscarriage.
However, this advice is mostly focused on risks to your baby once you become pregnant. There is evidence that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce fertility in both men and women, so staying within the government's guidelines of 3-4 units per day for men and 1-2 for women is sound advice. Bear in mind, one unit of alcohol is the equivalent to half a pint of standard beer (3.5% alcohol) whereas a large glass of red wine is about 3 units.
As always, if you need any further advice, information or support visit our website or call the team, we’re ready to help.
Ruth
Pregnancy and Baby Feeding Expert
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