Nutritional Deficiencies and Growth Concerns in Children with Food Allergies



Nutrition plays an important role in proper growth during childhood.  Children with food allergies must restrict certain foods from their diet, which may make them susceptible to nutritional deficiencies and growth problems. In addition to restricting allergenic foods, some children with food allergies have feeding problems which further restrict their nutritional intake.

In 2002, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association published research showing that children with two or more food allergies were on average shorter than children with just one food allergy (based on height-for-age percentiles)[i]. Children with milk allergy and/or multiple food allergies were found to consume less than the recommended intake of Calcium in comparison to children without milk allergy and/or with just one food allergy.

In order to avoid nutritional deficiencies and growth problems, experts from the Elliot and Roslyn Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine recommend that children with food allergies consume appropriate alternative nutrition sources  in order to fill in for the nutritional gaps in their diet and avoid deficiencies[ii]. They also recommend regular growth monitoring to detect and address any growth problems.

If your child has food allergies, ask their physician to recommend safe alternative foods, formulas, or supplements, or if need be, refer you to a registered dietitian nutritionist who can come up with a nutrition plan tailored for your little one’s needs. If your child has feeding problems which restricts his nutrition intake, check out our post on feeding tips, and ask the doctor about whether feeding therapy may be helpful. With proper nutrition and feeding support, you can help your child to avoid nutritional deficiencies and growth problems.  

Published: 07/11/2013
Tags
Comments
Write a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *



 

Join Nutricia Footsteps

Whether you are new to food allergies, need help with a lifestyle change, or are looking for new ideas, we are here for you. Nutricia Footsteps is a free service that sends you personalized, age-appropriate information.

Join Nutricia Footsteps

Nutrition
What is in Neocate®? Neocate Ingredients Explained 

When offering your loved one a new food, or consuming it yourself, it’s only natural to want to understand what it is made of. This post is designed to give deeper insight into Neocate ingredients and why they are included….

Continue Reading
 
Related Content
X

The content you are trying to access is intended for healthcare professionals only.

Are you a healthcare professional?

 
X

SELECT A REGION

X

SELECT A REGION