Prevent Children from Food Allergies, Start with Baby Food

Prevent Children from Food Allergies, Start with Baby Food

This is a terrible statistic: According to data from the non-profit organization Food Allergy Research & Education, one person is sent to the emergency room every three minutes because of an allergy to certain foods. Food allergies affect 1/13 of children under the age of 18, and the eight foods that cause the most food allergies are milk, eggs, peanuts, nuts, soybeans, wheat, fish, and shellfish. Scientists have found ways to help children avoid allergies to the most common food allergens, eggs, and peanuts. In a review article recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers found that simply adding eggs or peanuts to a child's diet four months after birth can reduce the child's egg or peanut allergy risk.     The recently published guidelines of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have given more specific recommendations to peanuts based on a five-year study. The study involved more than 600 babies who were at high risk of allergies to nuts who had severe eczema or egg allergies or both. Half of the babies ate a diet containing peanuts and the other half did not contain peanuts. The results showed that the risk of allergies in children with a peanut diet was reduced by 81%. The recommendations given by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases guidelines are as follows: if your child has severe eczema and egg allergies, it is recommended to add peanuts to the food at 4-6 months of age; if the child has mild to moderate eczema, consider adding peanuts to the food for about 6 months; if the child does not have eczema or food allergies, add peanuts to the food at the appropriate age. It is important to assess your baby's allergy risk with your pediatrician. If the risk is high, the doctor may do an allergy test before you give the child food.
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