Are parents getting the wrong advice about food allergies? That’s the question safefood posed as it issued guidance for new parents as part of the #EUChooseSafeFood campaign.
Sarah Keogh is a registered dietician and advisor to safefood. She says that new parents are often swamped with advice on when and how to feed their babies – especially when it comes to food allergies.
“Unfortunately, not all of it is accurate," she said. "Parents are often advised to avoid giving their babies foods like nuts and eggs until they are over one year, but studies show that babies eating these foods at six months are actually less likely to develop food allergies.
“Parents often worry about giving babies foods like nuts, fish and eggs, but research shows that giving babies allergenic foods early on may help prevent food allergies in the future."
What does the research say?
Researchers have found that giving babies common allergens like wheat, dairy, egg, soy and peanuts around six months reduces risk of developing a food allergy. The effect is especially strong for peanuts and eggs.
According to Ms Keogh, introducing allergens early is particularly beneficial for children with eczema, who are at a higher risk of developing food and other allergies.
“If a baby does have severe eczema, they may need to see their GP and registered dietitian before introducing some certain foods," she added. “Babies do need to be at least four months [17 weeks] old before starting to wean and it’s best if they have started weaning by six months. Six months is the right time to start giving babies common allergenic foods like peanuts and eggs. Babies can have small amounts of gluten from four months.”
What is a food allergy?
A food allergy is where the body thinks a food is a danger instead of recognising it as safe. The earlier a baby eats a food, the easier it is for their body to recognise that food as safe. Waiting until a baby is one year or more increases the chances of their body thinking a food is a danger.
This is why experts recommend giving babies foods like smooth peanut butter, eggs and fish around six months. There is also no need to wait for three days in between giving babies these foods – another wrong piece of advice parents are often given.
It is also important to continue to give babies these foods a few times every week so that their body “remembers” them as safe.
“Try well-cooked and chopped hardboiled egg, well-cooked fish, and smooth peanut butter spread on toast fingers or mixed into meals — remember that peanut butter just given on a spoon and peanuts themselves can be a choking hazard,” Ms Keogh said.
Weaning overwhelm
Registered dietitian Sarah Keogh acknowledged that parents are swamped with advice on weaning from friends, relatives, and social media.
“Sometimes that advice is out of date or just plain wrong. Parents who come to my weaning talks are often terrified of giving their babies normal foods like eggs, milk and nuts. It’s really important for parents to get advice from reliable sources like safefood/EFSA and registered dietitians.
“This is especially important when it comes to weaning and allergies," she continued. "It is so important that babies get to eat foods like egg, dairy, nuts and wheat around six months and to continue to eat these foods. We know that this helps reduce the chances of a baby developing a food allergy.”
Pregnancy and allergens
There is no need for pregnant women to avoid allergens during pregnancy or breast feeding – in fact research shows that eating allergens during pregnancy may reduce the risk of the baby developing a food allergy.
“If a baby does have a diagnosed food allergy, then some allergens may need to be avoided during breastfeeding, but only on the advice of a registered dietitian. This is because cutting out foods can result in nutrient deficiencies that can affect both mother and baby,” she said.
For more practical information on food allergies and food hypersensitivities, visit www.safefood.net/allergies
