Have you ever noticed your child being restless when they are sleeping? Or they have trouble with irritations and allergies that may cause skin sensitivities? If you have, it may be your diet (if you're breastfeeding) or their's if they're an older child that is contributing to their discomfort. One of the main culprits to contribute to this discomfort are Salicylates. By avoiding Salicylates in your child's diet, you can prevent the risk of them being exposed to the many discomforts this chemical causes to those sensitive to them.

What are Salicylates?

Salicylates are chemicals that occur naturally in plants. They are a kind of natural pesticide that protects plants against insects and diseases.

How can they impact you and your diet?

Salicylates are found in foods from plants. This includes:

• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Spices
• Tea

They can also be found in flavour additives. They aren’t found in all, but they can be found in most. Processed food is generally high in salicylates that can cause inflammation and cause adverse health reactions.

Foods high in salicylates can inflame eczema and children’s sleeping habits.

Salicylates are one group of the hundreds of compounds in foods that can have varying effects on our bodies, depending on how much we eat and how sensitive we are. One of the most common reactions is eczema; which can cause great discomfort for your baby.

What are some of the symptoms to look out for?

Some of the common symptoms that you can expect to come across include:

• colic
• nausea
• vomiting and reflux
• wheezing and respiratory congestion
• dermatitis,
• eczema
• various rashes (although other medical causes should be ruled out for these symptoms

What are the common salicylates foods that cause the most trouble?

Some of the most common culprits that cause the most trouble include:

• Cow’s milk protein that is found in dairy products like milk, cheese and yoghurt
• Tomato sauce
• Orange juice
• Fruits such as grapes, berries, kiwi fruit and bananas
• Vegetables such as broccoli

Eczema makes it difficult for the baby to sleep. What can be done to prevent eczema and to make them stop scratching?

Removing these common high salicylates foods from your child's diet and sticking to organic low salicylate foods for a couple of weeks is a good way to determin if they are a problem. Some parents report that they notice improvemens in their child’s sleeping patterns and overall health within this time.

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Relief for your child is available should they still suffer from irritation or while you're trying to determine food sensitivities. Our product range of specially designed eczema garments are made from super-soft bamboo cotton fabrics that can help prevent your child from scratching their delicate skin. You can find out more by visiting here.