New research has shown that introducing foods such as peanuts, fish, milk and eggs early is beneficial and actually helps prevent food allergies. Current recommendations...

 

While Breastfeeding

• The mother should not avoid foods (e.g. peanuts) or be on a specific diet during pregnancy or lactation.

• The infant should be receiving breast milk alone for the first 6 months of life.

• For alternate feeding, a cow’s milk based formula is recommended.

 

For the Introduction of Solid Foods

• Do not delay or avoid the introduction of any solid foods beyond the age of 6 months.

• Eating a variety of new foods on a regular basis is important for the child in developing and maintaining a tolerance.

• Skin or specific IgE blood testing before the first ingestion of a specific food is not recommended since it often shows false-positive results. 

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food Allergies: Is Avoidance Part of the Problem?

​

Similar to the hygiene hypothesis associated with environmental allergies, there have been studies done in regards to food allergies that support exposing and introducing children to common food allergens early on. In fact, the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) has conducted a study known as LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy).

 

What Is the LEAP Study? 

The LEAP study was based on the theory that regular peanut consumption at a young age will cause a protective immune response rather than an allergic reaction. The reason being that the body learns to tolerate the peanut proteins more effectively when regularly exposed to them. 

How the Study Was Conducted

About 600 infants between the ages of 4 and 11 months were randomly assigned to either avoid or consume peanuts until the age of 5 in order to compare the number of developed peanut allergies in each group. In this study they found that early consumption of peanuts is beneficial not only in high-risk infants but also in infants who already demonstrate a peanut sensitivity. The results of the study demonstrated that:

​

• 17% of children that avoided peanuts developed a peanut allergy by the age of 5.

• Only 3% of children out of the group that ate peanut snacks developed a peanut allergy by the age of 5.

 

Therefore, the consumption of peanuts beginning in the first 11 months of life dramatically reduces the chances of developing a peanut allergy.

​

​

​

​

​

​