How are allergies treated in babies?

The most important thing you can do is reduce your baby's exposure to the allergen. Here are the best ways to do that for the most common allergens:
Dust mites
Dust mites live in fabrics and carpets and are common in every room of the house. But most children are exposed to the most dust mites in the bedroom, where mattresses and pillows are veritable dust-mite condominiums.

The following steps may seem like a lot of work, but they really help. "Parents who take these steps might expect a 60 to 70 percent rate of improvement in their child's allergies," says Virant, "and this should markedly cut down the level of medication needed for the problem."

• Encase your baby's mattress in an impenetrable cover made of very tightly woven fabric, found at allergy supply stores. Unlike vinyl covers, these provide a useful barrier that's breathable and not crinkly. Avoid big, fluffy comforters and use blankets instead.

• Wash bedding once a week in hot water to kill dust mites. Set your water heater to about 130 degrees Fahrenheit before laundering bedding. Don't forget to turn the water heater back down (to about 120 to 125 degrees) afterward so family members won't scald themselves when they go to wash their hands.

• Avoid piling up stuffed animals in your baby's room — they're dust-mite magnets. Wash the few favorites your baby can't live without in hot water weekly or stick them in the freezer for an overnight killing frost.

• Dust and vacuum weekly or every other week, but make sure your baby isn't in the room when you do it. The action of dusting and vacuuming can stir up residual dust-mite particles in the room. Wet mopping can help prevent this.

• Consider investing in a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate arresting) filter, which traps even microscopic particles that pass right through ordinary vacuum cleaners.

• If your baby has a severe dust mite allergy, consider tearing up carpeting and replacing it with a smooth floor.

• Clean or replace filters on furnace and air-conditioners monthly during seasons they're in use. Have heating ducts cleaned each fall.

Pet dander
If your baby is allergic to a pet, the only foolproof solution is to give the animal away. That's not an easy decision to make, of course, and, understandably, you'll want to consider it only as a last resort.

To keep the dander down, wash your pet frequently. (You can find shampoos that reduce dander in the pet store.) Also keep your pet off the furniture and out of your baby's room.

Molds
Use a dehumidifier and air conditioner when the weather is warm and moist, especially in a wet basement or other areas of your home where mold growth is a problem. If your bathroom is a mold factory, clean it regularly with mold-inhibiting disinfectants, such as a little bleach and water or a natural solution like tea tree oil and water. And consider investing in a better ventilation system.

Mold can often be found growing in closets, attics, cellars, planters, refrigerators, shower stalls, and garbage cans, and under carpets. Even a fake Christmas tree can harbor mold.