It started with a runny nose and a couple of itchy patches that the pediatrician diagnosed as eczema. But by the time he was 10 months old, our son, Parker, was suffering from a seemingly endless run of colds, coughs and ear infections. Testing confirmed the doctor's suspicions: Parker was a baby with respiratory allergies.

Respiratory allergies are allergic reactions to airborne allergens such as dust or mold. Although a baby's very first allergic symptoms tend to show up as eczema or colic, respiratory symptoms may appear starting at around 6 months.

"Initially it's in the form of asthmatic or chest type symptoms," says Dr. Sherwin Gillman, clinical professor of pediatrics and allergy at the University of California, Irvine. "Then, later on, they develop more upper respiratory nasal symptoms, like what we call rhinitis or hay fever." According to Dr. Gillman, as the respiratory symptoms start, children with allergies also seem to be more prone to recurring respiratory infections.

How can you tell the difference between an allergy and a cold? If you think your baby may be suffering from respiratory allergies, look at the time course of her symptoms, advises Dr. Alan Greene, a primary care pediatrician, author of From First Kicks to First Steps: Nurturing Your Baby's Development from Pregnancy Through the First Year of Life (McGraw-Hill, 2004) and founder of Dr.Greene.com.

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