cat allergy in our toddler

Hi, I am a mother for the first time. My child is now one year old and apparently there is a problem. Both my husband and I love pets. On the top of our list of favorite pets are cats. Therefore, we agreed on buying one. And so we did. The moment we brought the cat in our house, our child reacted unexpectedly. She had a runny nose and I thought she is going to suffocate. Normally we took her to the doctor. He diagnosed cat allergy. I would like to know something more about this condition in toddlers.

Hi, I am sorry to hear that you have this kind of problem. Having pets around is a wonderful thing for me too. However, the health of a child comes first. Cat allergy in toddler is no different than the one in adults. It is the most frequent cause of allergies. Sometimes the allergy attacks can be very serious. The thing is that reaction is caused by proteins found in cat’s hair, urine or saliva. When breathed in or touched, these proteins influence production of histamine. Histamine affects upper airways or skin and produces symptoms very much like the ones present in hay fever. Usually, allergies are inherited. I am sure that the doctor told you to get rid of the cat since the allergy can not be cured. You should also avoid taking your child where you think she could get in contact with cats. Let me also suggest installing air filters in the house.