Markethealthbeauty.com – Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES Syndrome) is a rare and potentially severe food allergy in infants. This allergy usually begins after four months and the first year of life.
The exact cause of FPIES in babies is unknown. However, this may be caused by an immune reaction to proteins specific in food and cause gastrointestinal symptoms.
On the other hand, this inappropriate immune reaction causes inflammation in the small and large intestine which allows fluids to pass through the intestinal wall into the intestinal lumen. It is this fluid shift that can cause FPIES symptoms.
It should be understood, FPIES is not a common food allergy. In the US, this allergy occurs in about 0.51 percent of infants. Therefore, parents need to know and be aware of these signs of allergies.
Foods That Can Trigger FPIES Syndrome in Babies
Although any food can cause FPIES in infants, common triggers are cow’s milk, wheat, soy, and rice. Some types of food that may also be triggers are chicken, turkey, egg whites, potatoes, green beans, fish, and various fruits.
Differences between FPIES and Common Food Allergies
FPIES actually causes allergy symptoms that are common. However, common food allergic reactions usually occur minutes after ingesting the triggering food, whereas FPIES reactions can take hours.
FPIES Symptoms in Babies
FPIES allergy symptoms usually appear 2-4 hours after consuming the triggering food. However, the symptoms that appear will be different for each child. Some of them are:
- Prolonged vomiting
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
- Pale face
- Weak
- Excessive drop in blood pressure
- Weight loss
- It’s hard to gain weight for age
FPIES Risk Factors in Infants
FPIES can affect anyone and several factors increase the risk for babies, namely:
- More common in baby boys than girls
- 40-80 percent of FPIES cases occur in infants with a family history of atopic disease
- FPIES may last longer in infants who have IgE (immunoglobulin E)-mediated food allergies. IgE is one of the factors that play a role in the allergic mechanism.
