Q: This is regarding allergies in babies. I have an 11 month old daughter who got some skin hives and rashes last month. The doctor here diagnosed it as eczema. What are the chances that she inherited it from the mother as I have had eczema as a child and still do? I also have asthma. What are the chances that shell inherit that allergy too? Till date she has not had any cold or a respiratory problem. What is the age when asthma is more likely to occur in babies?

A:Asthma and allergies are inherited, but not through a single gene, so it is impossible to tell if your daughter shall develop this sometime in her life. Breast feed her for as long as you can and give her egg and peanuts later in life after she has crossed 4 years of age. Most asthma starts after the age of two years and can happen mostly in the first 10 years of life.