Experts on allergy have advised that avoiding milk and dairy products at the time of breastfeeding can help infants from the risk of food allergies.
Dr. Alessandro Fiocchi of the University of Milan Medical School in Italy and colleagues from the Adverse Reactions to Foods Committee of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology have also but written in their report that there are no evidence-based guidelines yet as to when other foods could be probably be introduced and as to the right time as to when children should begin eating solid food.To try and find a proper answer for this puzzling problem, of filling the gap, Fiocchi and his team hunted through the existing scientific literature and came out with a consensus statement, which they wrote in the July issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. They wrote, “Paediatricians and allergists should cautiously individualize the introduction of solids into the infants' diet.” They explained that no other supplements, including cow’s milk based foodstuffs, should be given, other than breast milk until the child reaches the age of 6 months. The researchers further explained that introducing solid foods in a child's first four months of life, could be associated with an increased risk of allergies up to age 10. Explaining that foods should also be started one at a time in small cautious amounts, Fiocchi and his team mentioned that it is of importance that the children are not given any mixed foods till they are absolutely clear weather the child was allergic to any of the ingredients.
The researchers went on to explain that once the child's risk of allergy has been assessed based on family history, then they could be stared on dairy foods at 12 months and hen's eggs at 24 months, they further cautioned that parents should wait until a child reaches at least 36 months before starting them on peanuts, tree nuts like cashews and walnuts, fish and seafood.
