Solutions for food allergies in pregnant women

Immediately stop eating suspected allergic foods. For mild cases, give priority to controlling symptoms through physical soothing and safe external medications during pregnancy. If severe symptoms such as laryngeal edema, difficulty breathing, persistent abdominal pain, etc. occur, seek medical attention immediately. Do not take antihistamines or hormone drugs by yourself. Follow up by adjusting the diet through accurate allergen testing. More than 90% of allergies will not have a negative impact on fetal development.

Not long ago, I met a girl who was 24 weeks pregnant at the outpatient clinic. She bought a box of fresh-cut mangoes to eat on the way from get off work. When she got home, her mouth began to become red and itchy. She was afraid that the medicine would affect the baby. She carried it for three days. When she arrived, half of her face was swollen and shiny, and she couldn't even lift her eyelids. In fact, when her condition first appeared, she applied a saline compress and some calamine, and it subsided in a day or two. However, it turned into contact dermatitis. In the end, she had to use a safe dose of topical ointment, but she suffered for several more days.

The first reaction of many pregnant mothers when they encounter allergies is "Can I survive it?" or "Will taking the medicine cause teratogenesis?" In fact, the first thing to understand clearly is the severity of the symptoms, and do not go to two extremes. If there is only local rash around the mouth and slight itching, and there is no difficulty in breathing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, or large-scale wheals all over the body, the general recommendation of traditional obstetrics is to try to avoid taking drugs internally and use sterile gauze soaked in normal saline to apply cold compresses for 10 to 15 minutes each time. , two or three times a day to reduce local inflammatory reactions. If the itching is severe, apply some calamine lotion - this belongs to Category B of the FDA's pregnancy drug classification. The amount of transdermal absorption is minimal and there is no clear risk to the fetus. It is basically a mild antipruritic drug commonly used in obstetrics. However, some allergist doctors will give different opinions: If mild symptoms do not relieve for more than 3 days, or even tend to worsen, you can take low-dose second-generation antihistamines such as loratadine after a doctor's evaluation. Current clinical data does not find that such drugs will increase the risk of teratogenesis, but this view is not yet completely unified. My suggestion is that unless the symptoms really affect normal life, give priority to topical solutions. Before taking medicine, you must first seek evaluation from a doctor, and do not buy it casually at the pharmacy.

But if your throat becomes tight, you can’t breathe, your stomach hurts, you have diarrhea, or you have wind masses on your body, or you even feel dizzy and can’t stand, don’t worry about it, don’t hold on, call 120 and go to the emergency department right away. Laryngeal edema and anaphylactic shock caused by allergies are life-threatening. In this case, the risk of delaying treatment is far greater than the potential impact of medication. Last year, a pregnant mother who was 30 weeks pregnant was allergic to crayfish. She endured it at home for two hours. When she came in, her blood oxygen dropped below 90. In the end, she was saved with glucocorticoids and epinephrine. The baby was always healthy during the follow-up prenatal check-up. Don’t hold on to the deadlock of "no medicine can be used during pregnancy". It depends on the ratio of risks and benefits.

After getting over this allergy, how to avoid it next time is the key. Many pregnant mothers immediately quit all "foods" after allergic reactions, including seafood, nuts, mangoes, and peaches. In the end, the baby was too small during the prenatal check-up, which was not worth the gain. In previous years, opinions suggested that you should try to avoid highly allergenic foods during pregnancy to reduce the probability of allergies after birth. However, the "China Maternal Allergy Management Guidelines" updated in 2023 have changed: Unless you are clearly allergic to a certain food, normal intake of highly allergenic foods during pregnancy can induce immune tolerance in the fetus and reduce the risk of allergies after birth. There is no need to blindly avoid foods.

If you don’t know what you are allergic to, don’t make blind guesses, and don’t believe in fingerstick blood tests for food intolerances. Get a specific IgE test on venous blood. It does not require fasting and does not involve radiation. It is more accurate than skin pricks and will not induce allergic reactions. Just avoid the foods you are allergic to after you find out. Eat other foods that you should eat, and don’t waste food because of choking.

Be careful when you go out to eat. Tell the waiter in advance that you are pregnant and whether there are any ingredients that should be avoided. Many baked goods contain hidden chopped nuts and mango jam. Western salads may have pineapple mixed in. There are many people who accidentally eat them and get caught. Pregnant mothers who have allergies themselves can keep a simple food diary, and write down a few words when adding new ingredients. If they are allergic, they can find the suspicious objects after a quick search, saving them a long time of wondering what the problem is.

In fact, pregnancy is really not that delicate. If you have an allergy, don’t panic. Stop the suspicious food first, and observe your own condition. If it can be relieved, take it slowly. If it is not, go to the doctor quickly. Don’t scare yourself and make you nervous. The impact on the baby is much greater than the allergy itself.