When our adopted child joined our home, we received a medical history for each birthparent. Even with all of the medical history we received, we still do not have a complete medical background for my son’s extended birth family. This can be a problem for many adoptive families, especially when the adopted child is exposed to allergens.

Last summer, my son experienced his first bee sting. He did not have an allergic reaction to the sting, which was to be expected because this was his first exposure to the potential allergen. In most cases, the first exposure to an allergen will not cause a reaction. It is during a subsequent exposure to the allergen that allergic symptoms generally occur. See Allergic Disorders for more on this topic.

My son recently received his second, third, and fourth stings at the same time. I held my breath because I did not know what to expect. If he was allergic to bee stings, then this could be a very serious situation since he experienced three stings at one time. Fortunately, my son does not appear to be allergic to stings, so after calming him down and tending to his wounds, he was as good as new.

While any child can develop an allergic reaction to a number of allergens, most allergies are hereditary. According to Allergy Basics, if one parent has allergies, then the child has a 50% chance of developing allergies as well. If both parents have allergies, the risk jumps to 75%.

If you receive a thorough health history that includes the birthparents’ allergies, then you know which allergen exposures to watch closely. However, if you do not receive this information, keeping your child safe from allergens can become more of a challenge.

I erred on the side of introducing higher risk foods, such as peanuts, to my son later than when many of his peers first tasted these foods. I also introduced foods one at a time so I could identity which food caused a problem if he had an allergic reaction. So far, my son does not appear to be allergic to anything other than one medication, and I am very grateful for this. Unfortunately, not every child is this lucky.

If you do not have a complete health history for your adopted child, take a few minutes to learn about allergies. That way, if your child has an allergic reaction, you will know how to get him help quickly.

Related Topics:

• Assessing Health Risks: Allergies; Asthma



• Food Allergies on the Rise



• IgG Testing Often Helps Pinpoint Delayed Allergies