As they start new baby foods, parents often know that they should wait two or three days in between each new food. Waiting a few days allows you to easily recognize which foods might be causing any food allergy or intolerance symptoms.
On the other hand, if you started two or three new foods on the same day and your baby had a problem, it would be hard to know which baby food was to blame.
Baby Food Allergy Symptoms
Even when they know that they should wait to start new baby foods, parents aren't always sure what signs or symptoms they are watching for. How do you know if your baby is having a food allergy or intolerance after starting a new baby food?
Most of the time, baby food allergy symptoms will be just what you would expect from a allergic reaction to a food in any one else, including:
- diarrhea
- skin rash, including hives
- vomiting
- wheezing
- stomach cramps
Other symptoms, such as gas and bloating, and sometimes diarrhea, are more likely to be caused by a food intolerance.
Simply not liking the taste of something is usually not a sign of an allergy though. Your baby may not like some foods or may have to get used to the taste or texture of some baby foods. For those baby foods that your baby doesn't seem to like right away, you may have to try several times before your baby will eat them regularly.
If you think that your baby has a true allergy or intolerance to a certain food, you should usually stop giving it to your child and should move on to something else. Often, you can try the food again in two or three months, especially if it was a mild reaction to see if your baby eventually tolerates the food. Talk to your pediatrician before giving a food to your baby if it was a more serious reaction, such as one that included wheezing, or if your child has a reaction over multiple attempts on trying the food.
