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Imagine how much easier parenting would be if somehow parents could magically keep their kids allergy free for life, there are things that can be done to lessen the threat of a child having allergies.
Start Kids Early To Keep Them Allergy Free
The immune system is developed during the childhood years. The progression is not wholly understood, but apparently it is during this time of development—from pre-birth through grade school—when the immune system will begin to distinguish nontoxic substances as invaders that in the future will become allergens.
Pregnancy is a time when an expectant mother should commence to think about allergen exposure, particularly if there is a family history of allergies (children of parents with allergies are more likely to develop allergies). There isn't a lot to be done at this point, and research suggests that most allergies will not develop because of foods a mother eats during pregnancy, but peanut allergies and smoke are likely exceptions. Mothers who are committed to keeping their kids allergy free should keep away from these things (smoking entirely, peanuts perhaps in small amounts).
The truly decisive time is infanthood. The period of the first year is the time when a lot of children's sensitivities get their start. For this reason pediatricians have taken a strong stance to limit exposure, in particular to everyday food allergens such as milk, eggs, and peanuts. It is believed that holding off on these foods until the immune system is better developed will give the child the possibility to correctly distinguish prospective food allergens as safe. Breastfeeding is the top defense against child allergies, but some foods, such as peanuts, can pass through breast milk. Mothers of children with a family history of food allergies to wheat, milk, eggs, soy, fish, and shellfish are best off eliminating these foods as well.
Allergies grow with repeated exposure to allergens in most cases. What this means is child allergies to any substance can develop at any time during the maturation of the immune system. Restraining exposure to allergens—without completely avoiding them—can stave off allergies until the immune system is suitably developed enough to handle them.
Keeping Kids Allergy Free—Is It Possible To Be Too Clean?
It appears rational that since nearly all allergies develop after continual exposure to an allergen, living in a sterile environment ought to mean no allergies—right? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
Research points to a balanced approach to housekeeping in the fight to keep kids allergy free. Children from exceptionally clean homes do not fare better than kids from less-kempt houses; studies suggest the opposite, in fact. Homes with cats and dogs or other pets in residence tend to produce children with fewer allergies. It seems that children who have never allowed their immune systems experience allergens set themselves up for surprise allergies when eventually an allergen is encountered in later life.
But the reality remains that surfeit amounts of allergens cause reaction in children with allergies, and so good home maintenance is still recommended.
Subsequent to Exposure Keeping Kids Allergy Free
For lots of children and parents the time has well-passed to take the actions in early infancy and early childhood that can make or break an allergy. Sometimes even the best of intentions at home have limited effect, because exposure to allergens cannot be completely controlled; visits to other locations, time in schools and daycares, and experience with airborne seasonal allergens all leave their mark.
When a child allergy does develop, there are still some procedures that can be taken to keep kids allergy free. Keeping kids allergy free after allergy development is a matter of restrictive exposure to allergens so that immune antibodies do not build up to the point of reaction. To keep kids allergy free when allergies already exist, a good cleaning regimen, coupled with individual plans for allergy treatment and management, is the best defense.
At this point there is no clear cut simple, black-and-white answer to the question of whether it is possible to keep kids allergy free; perhaps in the future there will be, but for the present, what parents are left with is a compilation of some excellent medical research and studies, and the chance to create their own best plan for allergy free kids given their family's predisposition and aggravating child allergy factors.