Journal of Gastrointestinal & Digestive System
Open Access

Abstract

An allergy is an immune malfunction whereby a person's body is hypersensitized to react immunologically to typically non-immunogenic substances. Allergies affect people from the early stages of their life and continue until their late adult ages. The allergic march refers to the natural history of allergic or atopic manifestations characterized by a typical sequence of clinical symptoms and conditions appearing during childhood and persisting for several years. The neonate is born with a distinct immune system that is biased against the production of T-helper cell 1 (Th1) cytokines; which may guard against rejection of the ???foreign??? fetus by the mother???s immune system. There are many risk factors that increase the incidence of neonatal allergies. Neonatal allergies could present by different non-specific symptoms and signs. Food proteins demonstrated to cross the placenta and can be detected in amniotic fluid. Exposure to small quantities of food antigens from mother???s diet thought to tolerize the fetus, by means of IgG1 and IgG3, within a ???protected environment???. Neonates may develop allergy to cow???s milk proteins present in mother???s milk or in hydrolyzed cow???s milk infant formulas which can be assessed by intestinal permeability measurements. The allergy to cow milk protein may progress from dermatitis or hives to vomiting & wheeze to Asthma and Anaphylaxis. Neonatal latex allergy could appear in neonates in NICU undergoing multiple surgical procedures esp. myelomeningocoele. Various reactions to latex may persist chronically or precipitously develop into hypotension and anaphylaxis. Prevention of natal allergy can be done through following different steps.

Biography

Mohammed El Beltagi is a Professor of Pediatrics on Tanta university, Egypt and Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. has completed 25 years work in in the pediatric field. He authored many books and published more than 50 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as a reviewer and an editorial board member in many scientific journals of repute.

E-mail: mbelrem@hotmail.com