Pregnancy is a unique and sensitive time in every woman’s life that requires additional care. Mothers of newborns are subject to many risks they should be aware of regarding their health, diet, and more.
Each woman’s pregnancy symptoms vary from one to another, but the most common symptom among all women is missed periods.
Pregnant women should be more aware of the foods they are eating and the effects of foods on babies’ development.
It is recommended to consume five portions of fruit and vegetables daily to maintain a healthy pregnancy.
Despite the prevalence of food allergies during pregnancy and after, a pregnant woman must get the proper nutrients, even if some foods must be excluded.
In this article, we focused on food allergy in pregnant women and its effects on the baby’s development.
If you want to know more about food allergies during pregnancy, continue reading this article from the Hipregnancy website.
What is an allergy?
An individual is said to have a food allergy when their body’s immune system responds abnormally to certain meals.
Even though allergic responses are often not life-threatening, there is always the possibility that they will be.
Food allergies may manifest themselves in various ways, and the symptoms might simultaneously manifest in various body parts.
An itching feeling might be felt within the mouth, throat, or ears, one of the most prevalent symptoms.
Also Read: benefits of dates during pregnancy
Common food allergies during pregnancy
As mentioned, pregnancy-related food allergies may annoy the mother and child.
A severe food allergy in pregnant women that requires medical treatment, such as adrenaline, to cause anaphylaxis is likely to involve eating foods such as eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, sesame seeds, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
The following are examples of common food allergies in a pregnant woman:
- Eyes that are itching and watery.
- Sneezing.
- The throat is painful or irritated.
- Runny nose.
- Congestion in the sinuses
Also Read: which food can cause miscarriage
How does food allergy during pregnancy affect the baby?
Babies are not considered allergic to their mothers’ allergies during pregnancy and will not show allergy symptoms after birth.
But what is the primary factor in developing an allergy?
Genetics is, without a doubt, a significant factor in the development of allergies in babies.
Children born with allergic parents or siblings are more likely to develop allergies.
What can pregnant women eat that causes allergic rhinitis, food allergies, asthma, or eczema in their babies?
A pregnant woman who consumes vitamin D-rich foods during pregnancy is less likely to have a child with allergies. So by eating foods like dairy products, cereals, fish, eggs and mushrooms, pregnant women can take more vitamin D.
Alcohol and tobacco use by pregnant women can negatively affect their children’s health and increase the risk of allergies during pregnancy.
Pregnant women who suffer from food sensitivities should consume a varied diet and avoid certain foods.
For this purpose, we suggest you read more about foods to avoid during pregnancy.
Can pregnancy cause sudden food allergies?
As it is apparent, hormones fluctuate during pregnancy, which can impact allergy since estrogen and progesterone affect the mast cells.
Women can develop new allergies as their hormones fluctuate during pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause.
Increasing estrogen and progesterone levels in women can lead to severe and new allergic symptoms.
For women who already have allergies before getting pregnant, reactions can be different, and there is no answer to why it happens.
In addition to these allergies, food allergies during pregnancy can also occur at once or increase existing allergies.
Food allergies disappear during pregnancy
When talking about allergies during pregnancy, this question comes to mind food allergies in pregnant women can be changed; in some pregnant women, the existing intolerance can improve, and for others, it can get worse.
The increase in hormone levels in the body may be an integral part of these changes.
As we said before, food allergies during pregnancy depend on the individual lady and the degree to which she suffers from allergies during pregnancy.
Around one-third of women who are expecting report that they experience worsening food allergies during pregnancy. Another one-third of people report that their allergy symptoms remain the same. In addition, more third of pregnant women report that their allergy problems improve while carrying their child.
While a woman is pregnant, she should exercise extreme caution when taking any drugs, and this is particularly true during the first trimester.
It is essential to discuss with a medical professional before taking any allergy medication because of food allergies during pregnancy if you are pregnant.
Collaborate to create a drug regimen that provides adequate symptom management without overburdening the patient.
Your physician may suggest treatment options that don’t include taking medication to alleviate your symptoms.
Preventative measures, such as allergen-proofing your house, avoiding the things that set off your allergic reactions, or treating your symptoms with a saline (saltwater) nasal spray, nasal irrigation, or nasal strips, are all effective strategies.
Antihistamines taken orally effectively treat the nose and ocular allergy symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis. It is recommended to wait until after the first trimester to take medicine for food allergies in a pregnant woman.
Loratadine and cetirizine are second-generation oral antihistamines. Several studies it has been shown that they are safe for use for food allergies during pregnancy.
In contrast to oral antihistamines of the first generation, they do not have a sedative effect (chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, tripelennamine).
When you are pregnant, you should avoid taking any medications that include both antihistamines and decongestants. The effects of these drugs on the mother and the child are the subject of continuing research.
Can you develop allergies to food while pregnant?
The immune system of women during pregnancy becomes weaker, which makes them more susceptible to colds and the flu.
The immune system, in addition, may result in the development of new allergies during pregnancy.
Women’s immune systems weaken to the point that they can have a fetus with half the mother’s genes.
The immune system contains two subsystems: innate and adaptive immunity. Both have different responses to pregnancy and require a decrease in responses to the adaptive part of the immune system to reach this point.
The immune system has two leading roles during pregnancy: first, protecting women from bacterial and viral infections, and second, promoting the healthy development of the fetus.
Changing the state of the immune system occurs when hormones fluctuate because hormones modify the immune system.
Experts believe that hormones during pregnancy are responsible for the relationship between immunity and allergies.
How to prevent food allergies in babies during pregnancy?
When pregnant and have food allergies during pregnancy, it is wise to visit your doctor and ask them for advice; this will help you manage your symptoms.
If you become pregnant and are worried about your allergy medicine, you should schedule an appointment with your gynecology doctor.
Your GP may offer ways to reduce symptoms that don’t include medications. Strategies may include allergy-proofing your home, avoiding allergy triggers, and using a saltwater spray, nasal irrigation or nasal strips.
You may be unable to stop taking some medications, such as inhalers, so reducing or stopping your intake may worsen your condition.
Let the pharmacy know you are pregnant before taking your prescription.
Final words
Pregnancy, as was mentioned earlier, is a challenging process due to the changes occurring in a woman’s organs as the fetus develops. Therefore, the majority of women have a lot of concerns about their health in the future.
Some of these changes are food allergies in pregnant women, which means some food substances may cause severe reactions such as inflammation.
In regards to the question of whether the baby is affected by the mother’s allergy, there is no valid answer.
Nevertheless, expectant mothers should care about their diet to ensure good nutrition and avoid certain foods to reduce their risk of complications.
As hormone levels fluctuate during pregnancy, and hormones have a close relationship with the immune system, pregnant women are more prone to food allergies during pregnancy.
Pregnant women must speak with their gynecology doctor before stopping their medicine from protecting their health and that of their unborn baby.
We discussed food allergies during pregnancy in this article. If you are interested in the subject of pregnancy and you want to gain more information in this field, you can read other articles on the Hipregnancy website.
This article will be helpful for you and help you to address your concerns.
We will be glad to assist you if you have any questions in this field and also talk about your experiences in the case of food allergies in a pregnant woman in the comment section.