Food allergies during pregnancy: When is it dangerous?

This article was professionally consulted with Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong On, MSc. MD - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital.
 

During pregnancy, pregnant women face many changes to their health, including food allergies. This condition not only affects the mother's health but also has a significant impact on fetal development.

1. Causes of food allergies during pregnancy

Not only during pregnancy, but even normal people are susceptible to food allergies when the body reacts to certain substances in food. The immune system can mistake them as harmful agents and produce antibodies against that food, called IgE immune proteins. If that type of food continues to enter the body, a reaction that produces histamine will occur.

These histamines are produced in which part will directly cause symptoms in that part. Specifically, if histamine is produced in the nose and mouth, it will make it difficult to swallow food and breathe. If histamine is produced in the intestines, it will cause diarrhea; if produced in the skin, it will cause itching, redness, and acne. 
Depending on an individual's constitution, allergies can occur to certain foods, such as some types of fish, fermented foods, red wine, chocolate, etc, leading to food allergies in pregnant women.

There are also cases where the mother had a history of allergies before pregnancy, and when pregnant, the possibility of getting the disease is even higher. 

What should pregnant women do if they have food allergies?
What should pregnant women do if they have food allergies?

There are many foods such as: Seafood, milk, eggs, peanuts, etc that cause allergies to mothers. A person can be allergic to one or more types of food.  It also depends on an individual's constitution, and scientists have not yet reached an accurate conclusion.

Trắc nghiệm: Chế độ dinh dưỡng 3 tháng đầu thai kỳ của mẹ bầu như thế nào?

3 tháng đầu được coi là giai đoạn phát triển quan trọng nhất của thai nhi. Để phát triển toàn diện, thai nhi cần được cung cấp đầy đủ dưỡng chất, đặc biệt là các vi chất cần thiết. Làm bài trắc nghiệm dưới đây sẽ giúp bạn có thêm kiến thức về chế độ dinh dưỡng trong 3 tháng đầu thai kỳ.

The following content is prepared under supervision of Bác sĩ chuyên khoa I, Lê Hồng Liên , Sản phụ khoa , Khoa Sản phụ khoa - Bệnh viện Đa khoa Quốc tế Vinmec Central Park

Lê Hồng Liên
Lê Hồng Liên
Bác sĩ chuyên khoa I,
Sản phụ khoa
Khoa Sản phụ khoa - Bệnh viện Đa khoa Quốc tế Vinmec Central Park

2. Symptoms of food allergies during pregnancy

Food allergies can appear at any time during pregnancy.  Symptoms of the disease can occur immediately after ingesting the allergen or a few hours later. Usually, mothers often have the following symptoms:

  • Rash and hives appear in many places on the body.
  • Some people have blisters around the area with a red rash, which gradually spread to other areas of the skin.
  • Itchy skin is present in many places on the body, and itching is often concentrated at night.
  • Other symptoms include cough, stuffy nose, itchy ears, and throat.

Depending on the constitution of each person, the condition of the disease, there are certain symptoms. The patient may also have other symptoms not listed above.

3. When is food allergy during pregnancy dangerous?

Food allergies can have profound effects on the health of pregnant women. Accordingly, mothers can have miscarriages, premature births, or birth defects if they are allergic during the 9 months of pregnancy.  Not only that, pregnant women with allergies during pregnancy also increase the risk of the child getting sick after birth.

Some studies have shown that up to 50% of foods can cause allergies in the human body. However, only some types of allergies are clearly expressed on the outside; the rest are not. In addition, the sensitivity of pregnant women during pregnancy will also make allergies more likely to occur.

Food allergies during pregnancy seriously affect the health of pregnant women
Food allergies during pregnancy seriously affect the health of pregnant women

The symptoms of this food allergy not only affect the mother's body but also have the risk of being transmitted to the fetus through the placenta. Not only that, the allergic mechanism can also hinder growth and development or directly damage the lungs and bronchi of the fetus, which is extremely dangerous. Therefore, pregnant women with allergies during pregnancy will likely cause birth defects in the fetus.

4. Preventing food allergies during pregnancy

Pregnant women can have food allergies at any time, so mothers need to apply measures to prevent this disease. Specifically as follows:

  • Limit the use of foods that you have been allergic to before.
  • You should also limit the use of foods you have never used before.
  • Do not reuse spoiled food or reuse food left overnight. Only cook a sufficient amount and use it all within the day.
  • Pay attention to cooking food thoroughly, do not use raw or undercooked food.
  • Drink plenty of water to support the body's metabolism and filtration. In addition to filtered water, you should also alternate with fruit juice to provide additional nutrition.
  • If symptoms such as hives, stomachache, diarrhea, or itching occur while using food, you should stop immediately to find out the cause.
  • Avoid eating spicy and bitter foods to reduce the risk of allergies.
  • Pregnant mothers who like to eat seafood should consider carefully before eating shrimp, crab, pupae, seafish, etc., to avoid allergies.
  • Regular exercise improves health and increases resistance for the body.
  • Thanks to that, mothers have better disease prevention ability.

Vinmec International General Hospital offers a comprehensive maternity care package for pregnant women right from the first months of pregnancy from the first months with full prenatal check-ups, periodic 3D and 4D ultrasounds and routine tests to ensure the mother is always healthy and the fetus develops comprehensively.

In addition to regular check-ups, pregnant women will also be advised on nutrition and exercise so that the mother can gain weight appropriately while the fetus still absorbs nutrients well.

To arrange an appointment, please call HOTLINE or make your reservation directly HERE. You may also download the MyVinmec app to schedule appointments faster and manage your reservations more conveniently.

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