Reducing Your Baby’s Food Allergy
By, Lauren Kolacki
Food allergies affect one in thirteen children in the United States. Food allergies occur when your immune system believes that a substance is detrimental to your body causing it to overreact, triggering an allergic reac- tion. Peanuts are a common allergy because the body is alarmed by the protein ingredient. Allergies are brought on by a combination of the exposure to dust, food and specific chemicals. There are still so many questions about allergies and why they occur, however, researchers continue to find new discoveries every day.
In recent studies, it has been detected that baby wipes could increase the risk of a child developing a food allergy. The synthetic in baby wipes, sodium lauryl sulphate, is also found in soap and has been proven to disrupt the skin’s protective fatty barrier. Even if a child has yet to ingest a food item, it may still enter their body through the skin. To reduce this risk, parents and guardians should be more aware. Always be sure to wash your hands before handling your baby, to reduce risk of exposure to unfamiliar food particles. Researchers also suggest rinsing off the area where a wipe was used to decrease the amount of sodium laurel sulphate that is absorbed by the skin.