How to prevent allergies

- Between 2 and 5 per cent of children are allergic to a specific type of food.

- The allergic reaction can take the form of vomiting, immediate diarrhoea and hives.

- When you begin weaning, you must avoid any foods that are considered allergenic, such as cereals containing gluten (bread, pasta, biscuits), certain fruits (strawberries, citrus fruits, kiwi), blue fish, nuts and egg, which must be introduced into the child's diet at a later stage.

- It is best to introduce one new food at a time, leaving two or three days between each new food.

-Most children's allergies disappear by the time they are three.