Allergies in children present in different ways. The first sign is often eczema, then food allergy, then hay-fever and then asthma It can be difficult to distinguish between allergy and non allergy in small babies - and is just as important to know what isn't an allergy as what is.
Dr Patel is a General Consultant Paediatrician as well as sub-specialising in allergy which means she is highly experienced in managing both allergy and general paediatric conditions
Common conditions that we see
Infant Reflux
Gastro-oesophageal reflux is a common reason for referral of young babies. Sometimes it is due to an allergy but often it isn't. Getting the right diagnosis is important so that you only take foods out of your baby's diet if you really need to, and you only give your baby medicines if you need to
Eczema
Eczema presenting in early infancy is often associated with food allergies. Early diagnosis is important to avoid giving your baby foods that he or she is allergic to, but also to avoid taking foods out of your babies diet if he or she doesnt need to. The number of creams prescribed for eczema can often make management very confusing - we will make sure you know exactly what to use and when, and how to apply creams
Food Allergies
The number of babies and children with food allergies is increasing and understanding which foods are causing reactions and how to safely avoid them is essential. Support from the dietician may be needed if many foods need to be excluded. Just as important is knowing when to think about reintroducing foods into your childs diet. We will help you through this process.
Hayfever
Hayfever ( allergic rhinitis) is common and often not managed as well as it should be. We know that having an itchy/blocked nose and itchy eyes due to hayfever can lead to poor sleep, poor concentration at school and lower grades compared with children who don't have hayfever. Poorly controlled hayfever can also make asthma worse.
We can provide advice on how to manage allergic rhinitis including desensitisation.
Asthma
Wheezing in childhood is one of the most common reasons that children are admitted to hospital.
In younger children, wheezy episodes are often just triggered by a cold whereas in older children lots of things can trigger a wheezy episode such as furry animals, dust, pollens and moulds. Managing asthma well is really important especially if your child also has food allergies. We will help you and your child understand what triggers the asthma, what treatment to use and when and how to keep asthma well controlled.
Rashes
Babies and children get rashes for different reasons. Sometimes they are allergy related, in which case there is normally a good history of eating a certain food. Sometimes , they are not, but are due to other factors such as infections.
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