13/09/2020
Let's talk introducing food allergens to babies. 🥚🥜🐟This is a topic that can understandably be a little confusing for parents. It wasn't that long ago that the advice was to avoid all of the big allergens until after your baby was 1.
Well if you haven't heard, that is no longer the case! There have been multiple studies that now show that the way to prevent more allergies is actually to introduce the allergen early and often. That means for babies not at high risk starting right at 6 months when you introduce other solids. If you do have a high risk baby (immediate family member with a food allergy, severe eczema, or previously diagnosed food allergy) then sometimes the recommendation is to actually start them even earlier than that with the allergens! It is no longer considered appropriate to delay allergen introduction!
So if you are worried about introducing allergens because you don't want your baby to develop a food allergy, know that they best way to prevent them is to actually introduce the food. From peanuts, to fish, as well as the entirety of the egg. Introduce them, and incorporate them as often as you can!
Keep in mind that this doesn't mean your baby can't develop a food allergy even with early introduction. This will help to prevent babies who might have had an allergy if they weren't introduced to the food from developing the allergy, but there are some babies who will have an allergy regardless. For more information on this, speak to your doctor or allergist, or you can head to my blog post on the topic where I've got some more detailed information! (Clickable link in profile)
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