Q. My six-month-old daughter has started eating porridge for about three weeks now. I have fed her with carrot, spinach, chicken breast meat and anchovies. A friend told me that certain types of food could cause a baby to have an allergy. Can you please tell me which food can trigger an allergy and how serious the reaction is?

A. Allergies to food occur perhaps more often than we think. Toddlers are more prone to food allergy than older children, but it is usually temporary.

Cow's milk is the most common allergy-provoking food, and breastfeeding is a good way to minimize the risk in infants. Other foods which may provoke an allergic reaction are eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, chocolate, soya bean, fruit, tomato, nuts, meat, poultry, food colouring and preservatives.

The symptoms of allergy may include any of the following: Persistent diarrhea and vomiting, weight loss, abdominal pain, wheezing due to asthma, bronchitis, eczema and rashes.

Puan Farah Diba Khan is a Consultant Dietitian in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

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