Food allergies and healthy living

The first time my son had an allergic reaction, I knew exactly what it was: chickpeas.

He was still a baby, and I was following the method of introducing new foods one at a time. I took him to the emergency room right away; his face and neck, swollen and covered in hives, told me that something was wrong.

At the hospital they gave him antihistamines and steroids, and after a few hours we were able to go home relieved, but knowing that for the time being, chickpeas, however healthy they may be, would not be part of his diet.

Years later he suffered a series of very mild reactions after eating fish, after the last one - mild but obvious - I made an appointment with the allergist who confirmed with a skin test, that my son was allergic to chickpeas and also to 11 different types of fish.

The comments began with two confirmed food allergies.

"But didn't they say that breastfeeding prevents allergies?" with accompanying laughter, or "Well, I gave my children formula and none of them have allergies," full of pride.

On the other hand, I've also been told that my son's allergies are my fault, because I keep everything too clean, or that I'm not giving him the right food because his immune system isn't strong enough, because, as I've been told, children "need to be given everything so they get used to it."

I'm not a doctor or a scientist, but I do know that neither I nor any other parent wants to have a child with food allergies, and that I've tried to give my son the best life from before he was born—following the supplementation recommendations during pregnancy, breastfeeding him until 15 months, and also:

• Healthy and varied diet
• Healthy processed foods, and no ultra-processed foods (unless they are given them at school etc.)
• Multivitamin supplement
• Mineral supplement (Calcium and Magnesium)
• Vegan Omega 3 (Algae oil, because she cannot take fish oil)
• Pre- ( FOS ) and Probiotics (also miso and other pickles regularly and in a varied way)
• Vitamin D in winter if we spend many days without sun
• Active and outdoor life whenever possible
• Limits on television and other screens: no screens for entertainment during the school week, and minimal (movies and series) on the weekend.

At age 6, my son outgrew his chickpea allergy, confirmed by skin prick tests, blood tests, and a food challenge. A few months ago, we thought his fish allergy was following the same path, as both the skin prick test and blood tests showed that he no longer had allergy markers.

But during the first 10 minutes of the challenge—a test that takes place in the doctor's office over about 4 or 5 hours and during which the patient ingests small doses of the food in question—my son began to complain of itching, and started to develop hives and nausea.

With the doctor and four support nurses in the room, and three different medications, they managed to prevent the reaction from getting worse - the risk is that the patient could suffer anaphallaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can be fatal.

We spent several more hours in the office, making sure that, once the effect of the medication had worn off, the allergic reaction did not return, something that can happen.

I don't know how much I can do to help my son overcome his allergies. According to his allergist, the immune system has to "forget" that it mistakenly believes that food is bad for him, and strengthen his immune system so it doesn't overreact in this way. There are several theories about allergies; this is our specialist's.

I know I have to help him manage his emotions; on the day of the test he was very scared of what might happen to him, and stress significantly affects the immune system, which can "contribute" to that overreaction.

What I am sure of is that I have to help my son be strong and healthy overall, and that's why we follow a healthy lifestyle.

I know it's possible his allergies will never go away. If that's the case, I'll have to trust that he'll take care of himself and that the people around him will too in case of accidental ingestion, and accept that no matter how careful we are, some things are unavoidable for some people.

For now, he knows he can't eat fish, and when he's been to birthday parties, for example, he always asks before eating anything if there's fish - even before eating a cake.

When you're a parent, it's easy to blame yourself for what happens to your children, but I know that in this case, at least, I'm doing everything I can to get the best outcome, and even if it's not enough to make his allergy go away, all the care I'm giving him helps him live a healthy life, and he also learns to take care of himself, which is ultimately one of the things I want for my children.

Do you have or have you had food allergies? How do you manage them?