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Infants with a family history of allergy are much more likely to develop allergies themselves, especially if they’re exposed to a host of common allergy causes or allergens. Children of allergic parents don’t necessarily inherit the same allergies, just the tendency to be an allergic individual.

A mother or father who reacts to ragweed with what seems like non-stop sneezes could have child who develops diarrhea drinking from cow’s milk or hives from eating eggs.

There are ways to minimize allergy problems if some steps are taken to reduce what’s called the allergic load on the child, especially during the first year of life.

The first and most important action in minimizing the development of allergies is the decision to breastfeed.

A mother’s milk may protect the infant during the time when the infant’s immune system is immature.

As the first birthday approaches, studies show that the infant’s ability to fight infection or tolerate common allergens improves.

Those of you contemplating having children and thinking that breastfeeding is not in the cards for you (you’ll be returning to work soon or whatever the reason) please take note:

A baby who develops an assortment of allergies — milk, eggs, dust, grass and the like — can turn your life upside down.

Stomach upset, diarrhea, skin rashes, respiratory infections, and asthma are but a few of the allergy related symptoms that can persist beyond infancy right through childhood.

Ideally, an infant with these tendencies should be breastfed up to at least one year of age, and even then here are no guarantees.

It’s also believed that infants who may be prone to diabetes should be fed in this manner as well; the consumption of cow’s milk in infancy was linked to insulin-dependent diabetes later in a study at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

Exclusively breastfeeding for six months can minimize the likelihood of developing allergies.

However, some women may need to extend this period.

In some cases, if infants have any kind of allergy-related symptoms, such as chronic stomach upsets, diarrhea or respiratory problems, the nursing mother may have to eliminate allergenic foods from her diet in order to find the offending substance.

Dairy products, eggs, fish, nuts, wheat, chocolate and citrus fruits all fall into this category.

Delaying the feeding of these same foods to the infant until after one year of age can also help to decrease the chance of allergies. And when any new foods are introduced, do it one at a time, in order to see if there are any reactions to it.

Pay attention to less obvious symptoms as well. A baby who has been sleeping through the night for while, but suddenly starts to have sleepless nights, could be reacting to a new food.

Remove it from the diet and see if there’s any change. But don’t be too quick to blame every change in your child’s behavior patterns on allergies.

Twenty to 30 per cent of those infants who react to cow’s milk formula will also be allergic to a soy-based formula. Because of this, some in the pediatric field suggest that infants who are allergic to cow’s milk formula be placed in a special formula such as Nutramigen, rather that being exposed to soy formula and chancing another allergy.