Baby food to introduce allergens

How To Introduce Allergens To Your Baby – Forbes Health

Introducing a food to your baby that might cause an allergic reaction can be, understandably, nerve-wracking. However, research shows that introducing major allergens like peanuts, dairy, eggs and even fish into your child’s diet sooner rather than later can have an impact on their likelihood of developing food allergies. This is especially true for babies that are at a higher risk for developing food allergies due to eczema or a family history of such allergies. In most infants, risk rises in delaying the introduction of foods that commonly cause allergies.

But when it comes to introducing allergens to your baby, which should you introduce, and how should you go about doing it? We’ll give you the full rundown, as well as advice on potential warning signs to look out for and tips to make the introduction of allergens to your baby a safer experience.

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Why Should I Introduce Allergens to My Baby?

The early introduction of food allergens to babies is tied to efforts to reduce the likelihood of allergic reactions, which is defined by the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology as occurring “when the immune system overreacts to a harmless substance known as an allergen. ”

When it comes to peanut allergies—which affect up to 2% of children and can be serious and lifelong—the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends infants with the highest risk of developing food allergies (generally those with eczema, a family history of food allergies or an existing food allergy) be introduced to peanut protein between the ages of 4 and 6 months^[1]New Guidelines Detail Use of ‘Infant-Safe’ Peanut To Prevent Allergy. American Academy of Pediatrics. Accessed 09/28/2022. . This is a notable reversal from the AAP’s 2000 guidance, in which it recommended delaying the introduction of peanut for high-risk infants until 3 years of age.

Indeed, 2021 research suggests that introduction of highly allergenic foods—such as peanut and egg—at 4 to 6 months of age may lower the risk of a child developing food allergies, particularly for children at high risk for food allergies^[2]Yakaboski E, Robinson LB, Arroyo A, Espinola JA, Geller RJ, Sullivan AF, Rudders SA, Camargo CA. Early Introduction of Food Allergens and Risk of Developing Food Allergy. Nutrients. 2021;13(7):2318. . In other words, delaying the introduction of highly allergenic foods to your child could increase their risk of developing an allergy.

In general, pediatricians often recommend introducing major allergens to all babies at around 4 to 6 months of age, with the goal of introducing as many as possible by age 1.

Experts note that the immune system is protein specific, and learns from each food individually. Therefore, you help protect against the development of a peanut allergy by routinely feeding your baby peanut—but this won’t protect against other foods. This is why experts recommend being intentional about introducing and maintaining a diverse set of foods—including allergens like dairy, egg, fish and soy—in your baby’s diet throughout infancy and toddlerhood, when the immune system is most open to learning.

While early introduction may contribute to a decreased chance of the development of food allergies, David Fleischer, M.D., director of the Allergy and Immunology Center and section head of allergy and immunology at Children’s Hospital Colorado, cautions against early introduction being seen as “the end-all-be-all that can prevent everything.”

“We’ve seen many families that do all the things you say to do and aren’t high risk, and they still have food allergies. So there’s probably a multi-factorial way [of preventing food allergies], and this is just one thing that we think will help,” says Dr. Fleischer, describing early allergen introduction as just “one aspect of food allergy prevention.”

When Should I Introduce Allergens to My Baby—and How?

Before you introduce allergens to your baby, you first want to ensure that they are developmentally ready to start eating solid foods, which usually occurs around 6 months. Signs of readiness include:

Shows curiosity and interest in food by watching you eat
Adequate head and neck control
Ability to sit up alone or with support
Opening the mouth when food is offered
Swallowing food, rather than pushing it back out

Once you’ve determined that your child seems ready for solids, you’ll want to first introduce other foods, such as cereal or something mashed, to further assess readiness, explains Malika Gupta, M. D., a board-certified allergist and immunologist. After your child tolerates a few less allergenic foods, then you can begin the introduction of highly allergenic foods. If your child is considered high-risk for food allergies—either due to having eczema or a family history of food allergies—Dr. Gupta suggests that parents may want to talk to their pediatrician prior to introduction to get further guidance on introducing these foods and to know what to look out for when doing so.

There is no particular order in which parents should introduce highly allergenic foods, says Dr. Fleischer. The only allergenic food to avoid before age 1 is cow’s milk, due to its low absorbable iron content, though dairy products like cheese and yogurt are permissible.

When introducing an allergen for the first time, Dr. Gupta advises doing so at home and when one to two adults are able to focus their attention on the child. It’s also suggested to introduce one allergenic food at a time, so parents can more easily suss out reactions, and then to wait two to three days before introducing another highly allergenic food.

To introduce peanuts into their baby’s diet, for example, parents might melt down peanut butter with water and add it to a fruit or vegetable puree their baby likes. With eggs, parents might try scrambled eggs or some small pieces of boiled eggs.

As for the question of how much of the allergen to introduce and how often to feed it to your baby, Dr. Fleischer says there isn’t currently clear data. “I think we try to stress not a set amount and number of days because we want the introduction of these allergens to be a natural introduction, just like you would introduce other foods,” he says. “There are guidelines that say once you introduce it, try to keep it in their diet to some amount, but there’s no defined amount for each food.”

He also advises parents not to stress about getting in every highly allergenic food immediately, though aim for introduction before age 1. “Not everything is going to be given at 4 to 6 months of age. It’s a progression of things, where the scrambled egg is just a different texture that they might not tolerate until the meat stage of things,” says Dr. Fleischer.

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Which Allergens Should I Introduce?

While most studies on early allergen introduction have focused on peanuts and eggs, the recommendation has since extended to other foods that are considered highly allergenic, says Dr. Gupta.

The AAP states that there’s “no reason to delay giving your baby foods that are thought of as allergens.” Per the AAP, approximately 90% of food allergies are attributable to the following eight allergens^[3]AAP Clinical Report Highlights Early Introduction of Peanut-based Foods to Prevent Allergies. American Academy of Pediatrics. Accessed 09/13/2022. :

Cow’s milk
Eggs
Fish
Crustacean shellfish
Tree nuts
Peanuts
Wheat
Soybeans

With the exception of cow’s milk, which the AAP suggests waiting until 1 year to introduce, (though other dairy products like yogurt and cheese are allowable), you can add the other allergens listed above to your baby’s diet as they begin eating solids. The USDA set new guidelines in 2020 that explicitly recommend parents get all of these eight food groups into babies’ diets as early as possible, starting around 4 to 6 months of age.

What Warning Signs Should I Watch for?

Albeit rare, allergic reactions in babies can range from mild to severe. Typically, signs of a reaction will appear within a few minutes to two hours of consuming the allergen for children with an IgE-mediated food allergy, which is an allergy caused by eating common allergenic foods.

As you’re monitoring your child after they’ve tried an allergen for the first time, these are the warning signs to look out for of an IgE-mediated food allergy, according to Children’s Hospital Colorado:

Hives or welts
Swelling of the face, tongue or lips
A rash or flushed skin
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Coughing or wheezing

More serious allergic reactions—and potential warning signs for anaphylaxis or a need for urgent medical care—include:

Hoarseness
Difficulty breathing
A sensation of tightening of the throat
Loss of consciousness

If the reaction appears to be severe—such as if your child seems to be having difficulty breathing, loses consciousness, hoarseness or has two or more symptoms that affect different body systems—you should seek immediate medical attention and call 911.

With non-urgent reactions, parents should contact their pediatrician, who may advise them on administering an antihistamine.

Note that your child can also develop a non-IgE mediated food allergy, which will tend to appear over two hours after your child consumes the food. This type of allergy is known as food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), and it tends to affect the gastrointestinal tract. Common symptoms include:

Vomiting
Bloating
Diarrhea

If you notice these symptoms or suspect your child may be dealing with a non-IgE mediated food allergy, contact your pediatrician or an allergist.

Tips for Safely Introducing Allergens to Your Baby

Ready to have your child test out the major allergens? Here are some expert-provided tips to keep in mind to help ensure a safe introduction, according to Dr. Gupta:

Make sure your child is fully ready for solid foods before introducing allergens. This will make it clear whether their reaction is due to allergies or simply not being developmentally ready.
Only feed your baby a new allergen when they are healthy. If they are already sick, it can be difficult to assess their true reaction.
Ideally, have one to two adults present who can stay focused on the child after they’ve tried a highly allergenic food for the first time.
Watch your infant for about two hours after feeding, as this is the typical length of time during which an allergic reaction will occur. If you notice any changes in symptoms outside of this timeframe, it’s unlikely to be an allergic reaction to a consumed food.
Avoid introducing highly allergenic foods in the evening. You’ll want to ensure you have at least a two-hour window to observe the child.

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What Should I Do If My Baby Is Allergic?

Children who have any sort of an allergic reaction to a food should get referred to an allergist, says Dr. Fleischer, explaining that there are other potential causes for hives and other reactions, such as being sick with a viral infection or consuming acidic foods like tomatoes and some fruits. An allergist can help determine whether a child is truly allergic to the food in question through testing including infant food challenges.

Your provider will give guidance on appropriate next steps to take with your child. In some cases, it may be sufficient to simply avoid the food (and for you to avoid those foods, if you’re breastfeeding), while other children may require an emergency kit with epinephrine in case of severe allergic reactions in the future. Other times, the doctor may advise reintroduction of the food at a certain point to determine if your child has outgrown their allergy.

Per the AAP, up to 90% of allergies to milk, egg, wheat and soy disappear by age 5, though outgrowing nut and seafood allergies is less common^[4]AAP Clinical Report Highlights Early Introduction of Peanut-based Foods to Prevent Allergies. American Academy of Pediatrics. Accessed 09/13/2022. .

While introducing your child to allergens can understandably feel intimidating as a parent, it’s an important step to take for your child’s health. And remember, you can always turn to your pediatrician or an allergist for further guidance and support, if needed.

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STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

What is early allergen introduction and why do it?

Early allergen introduction is the process of frequently feeding common allergenic foods, such as peanut or egg, to your baby. The 2020 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other prominent medical associations (NIH, AAP, AAAAI) recommend introducing peanut and egg in the first year of life (after age 4 months), otherwise known as early allergen introduction. This is especially important for babies with eczema who have a 1 in 3 chance of developing food allergies. With Ready. Set. Food!, we make it easy to introduce allergens early and often.

Why is Ready. Set. Food! the best way to introduce allergens?

Ready. Set. Food! is the best option for introducing allergens because we make the process simple. It is important to note that for early allergen introduction parents need to frequently feed allergenic foods such as peanut, egg, and milk to their babies. Parents have found that trying to do this on their own is difficult and time-consuming, which is why we've created Ready. Set. Food! to help make early allergen introduction easy.

When should I start my baby on Ready. Set. Food! and for how long?

The 2020 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other prominent medical associations (NIH, AAP, AAAAI) recommend starting babies as early as 4 months of age with food allergen introduction.

We recommend starting the Stage 1 introduction, and Stage 2 for continued exposure together anytime between 4 - 12 months of age. You should sustain exposure to Stage 2 for at least 2 months.

Stage 3 is designed as the next step from Stage 2, and expands allergen exposure from 3 to 9 allergens including tree nuts, sesame, wheat and soy. However, if your baby hasn't started allergen introduction, but is already eating solid foods, feel free to start with Stage 3. Continue on Stage 3 for 3 - 6 months.

Feeding foods like peanut, egg, and milk only once or twice is NOT enough. We recommend using Ready. Set. Food!, for at least 6 months, or until your baby is regularly eating the allergens at least 3 times a week. We designed Ready. Set. Food!, to make it safe and easy for parents to not only introduce the allergens, but to sustain exposure as well.

What is Ready. Set. Food! Baby Oatmeal?

Guidelines from the leading medical organizations recommend to feed your baby allergens on a daily basis. Our Baby Oatmeal is a safe and easy solution to help follow the new leading medical guidelines that recommend introducing allergens early and often while giving your child a nutritious and healthy meal. Ready. Set. Food! Baby Oatmeal contains 100% organic milled whole grain oats and includes all of the 9 allergens also found in our Stage 3 Mix-ins:

Peanut, Egg, Milk, Cashew (tree nut), Almond (tree nut), Walnut (tree nut), Sesame, Soy, Wheat

These top allergens account for ~90% of all childhood food allergies and follow recommendations from the USDA Guidelines to "introduce infants to potentially allergenic foods." As parents ourselves, our goal is to make early allergen introduction as simple, mess-free and convenient as possible; our Baby Oatmeal is the perfect solution for busy families.

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Here are the different purchasing options that we offer to help make early allergen introduction easy for every family:

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Our one time purchase options offer the biggest savings. You can make a single purchase in 30 day, 90 day, and 180 day increments. One time purchases will ship your orders upfront.

Monthly Recurring Plans
Staged 6 Month Plans ship 6 months of RSF! These Plans are shipped in 2 shipments 30 days apart from the initial purchase date, and you will be billed in six equal installments, cancelling automatically at the end of the six month term.

The 6 Month Complete System will ship 6 months of RSF!, including Stages 1, 2 and 3, in four shipments over a period of six months, and you will be billed in six equal installments. This plan will cancel automatically at the end of the six month term.

The 12 Month Complete System will ship 12 months of RSF!, including Stages 1, 2 and 3, in four shipments over a period of twelve months, and you will be billed in twelve equal installments. This plan will cancel automatically at the end of the twelve month term.

"As often as my toddler’s tastes change, having a bar on hand that I know he’ll enjoy - and that I can feel good about serving him - is a huge win. The safe exposure to a variety of allergens is an added bonus to an already great bar!" Alex Owen’s Mom

"It felt so reassuring to know my toddler was getting exposed to all of the main allergens at this very important young age and stage, and in such an easy way! My toddler loves the taste of this healthy and fulfilling bar..." Liz James' Mom

“We’ve been Ready. Set. Food! mix-in fans for a while as it’s so easy and convenient for early allergen introduction. When I saw that they were adding allergens to a wholegrain oatmeal, it was a no-brainer for us to try. And now Liel is hooked.” Lara Liel's Mom

"I wish I had something like this when I was just starting to feed Ben solids because it's already pureed and so easy to make. I used to cook and then puree oatmeal at the beginning. We mixed it with Greek yogurt and berries, and he was all about it, licked the bowl clean" Jessica Ben's Mom

“I love how easy it is to prepare and serve Avery a nutritious meal that also is helping to expose him to possible allergens at an early age. This is so much easier than trying to do it myself, and I feel comfortable knowing it's a safe dose" Laura Avery's Mom

"I’ve used Ready. Set. Food! packets with both my girls and am SO happy there’s now an oatmeal! It’s so comforting to be able to give my daughter a healthy, seconds-to-prep meal that is also helping to prevent her from developing allergies. She’s been a little picky with the other food, but shoveled the oatmeal right in!" Katrina Sienna's mom

Liz James' Mom

Lara Liel's Mom

Jessica Ben's Mom

Laura Avery's Mom

Katrina Sienna's mom

Alex Owen’s Mom

Allergy Child Diet - Allergy and Asthma Treatment at Allergomed

The birth of a child is a joy for every family and, of course, parents want their child to grow up healthy, especially those who themselves suffer from allergic diseases.

BREASTFEEDING

Breastfeeding is essential to keep your baby less sick. What gives breastfeeding? It not only improves bowel function, forms the correct bite, protects against infectious diseases, but also strengthens the emotional bond between mother and child.

When a mother is breastfeeding, she must follow certain nutritional rules: exclude milk, replacing it with sour dairy products, and limit the consumption of chicken, fish, citrus fruits, nuts, cocoa coffee, because these products most often cause allergies. If the baby gains enough weight while breastfeeding, then the first complementary foods can be introduced at 6 months.

With a decrease in mother's milk, it is better to use non-traditional methods of treatment: homeopathy and reflexology.

FORMULA FEEDING

Formula-fed infants must receive formula. If the baby did not have any manifestations of allergies, then hypoallergenic mixtures are used (Humana, Nan GA, Hip GA), in the presence of allergic manifestations, the so-called hydrolysates (Alfare, Nutramigen, Pregestemil). Allergic reactions are caused by proteins.

In special mixtures, they are broken down into smaller components that no longer cause allergies. Parents need to remember that the new mixture is introduced gradually, adding 20 ml to each feeding. Thus, the introduction of a new mixture will take 5-7 days.

In recent years, soy allergy has become more common. Since soy inclusions are included in many products, soy mixtures are not recommended as substitutes for women's milk during artificial feeding.

Recently, a lot of various canned baby food has appeared. When choosing canned food for your baby, pay attention that green apple juice is included as a natural preservative, and not ascorbic acid or lemon juice.

PREVENTION OF FOOD ALLERGIES

In children of the first year of life, cow's milk, chicken egg (protein), fish and cereals (wheat, corn, barley, less often rice and buckwheat) cause allergies more often. For the prevention of food allergies in children under 1 year of age, cow's milk is excluded, up to 1. 5 years - chicken eggs, fish and seafood, up to 3 years of age - nuts.

It should be noted that children do not have “accumulation allergies”, after using the “guilty product”, allergy manifestations develop within a few minutes up to 4-5 hours.

FOOD FOR OLDER CHILDREN

Older children should also follow certain dietary guidelines.

All food products can be conditionally divided into three groups according to allergenicity: high, medium and low degree

First - (high degree of allergenicity): eggs, fish, seafood, caviar, wheat, rye, carrots, tomatoes, celery , bell pepper, wild strawberry, strawberry, raspberry, citrus, kiwi, pineapple, mango, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, mushrooms, nuts, honey, pomegranate, persimmon, melon;
Second - (moderately allergic): whole milk, butter, beef, chicken meat, buckwheat, oatmeal, potatoes, beets, peas, soybeans, apricots, peaches, cranberries, bananas, dark red cherries, rose hips , blueberries, lingonberries, black currants;
Third - (low allergenicity): sour - dairy products, horse meat, rabbit meat, lean pork, lean lamb, pearl barley, millet, refined vegetable oil, green varieties of apples and pears, white and red currants, yellow and white cherries, yellow varieties of plums, gooseberries, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, cabbage, corn, parsley, dill;

Despite the conditional division of products into degrees of allergenicity, it is recommended to start expanding the child's diet with products of the third group, gradually adding products from the second group and lastly from the first. Parents should be careful and exclude exactly those products that caused an allergic reaction. It must be remembered that the diet can not permanent. With age, the child's diet should be expanded.

It must be emphasized that products such as chocolate, fish, citrus fruits, strawberries, egg white, tomatoes, when used, can cause the formation of active substances that cause allergic reactions. The composition of a number of products, such as soy, spinach, Gouda cheese, Cheddar, canned food, tomatoes, corned beef, sauerkraut, tuna, mackerel, includes histamine - the main "culprit" of allergic reactions.

Some foods should be completely excluded from the diet of a child with an allergy, regardless of age: chewing sweets and gums, sauces, fruit juices, soft drinks, instant soups, confectionery, yogurt, jams, ice cream if they contain industrial dye - tartrazine (E 102).

Parents often try to adjust the child's diet on their own and their views on this problem are completely opposite.

Some of the parents believe that the child should be on the strictest diet, leaving the child literally "on water and cabbage." At the same time, they do not take into account the fact that a child is a growing organism, therefore he needs “building materials” for normal growth and development, as well as the fact that with age the list of “forbidden foods” decreases. So, for example, milk allergy is most typical for children under 1.5 years old. If at an older age the child has any health problems when drinking milk and dairy products, this is most likely a gastroenterological disease and further dietary correction should be discussed with a gastroenterologist.

Some parents, on the contrary, allow the child to eat literally everything, citing pity for the child. Of course, if the doctor recommends excluding any products from the diet, they should not be on the general table so as not to cause the child to feel “inferiority”, but strict adherence to the diet should be mandatory at a certain stage of treatment.
What is it for? So that in the future allergic skin lesions do not degenerate into more serious diseases, such as, for example, bronchial asthma.

At the appointment, parents often ask: “Will an allergy develop if the child is given all the foods in a small amount?”. An allergic reaction occurs when even an extremely small amount of the “guilty allergen” is consumed. If a child is prone to overeating, then exacerbations of the disease are not always allergic in nature.

THEREFORE, THE CHILD'S DIET SHOULD BE SELECTED STRICTLY INDIVIDUALLY AFTER A CAREFUL ALLERGOLOGICAL EXAMINATION AND CONSULTATION BY A DOCTOR - ALLERGIST.

Allergy to baby food in a child: nutrition for allergic infants

Published: 03/16/2017

Reading time: 4 min.

Number of reads: 35811

Author of the article: Ponomareva Yulia Vladimirovna

Pediatrician, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Allergist-Immunologist

Food allergy is one of the most common health problems in a baby in the first year of life. According to statistics, every third child of this age has manifestations of food intolerance. Many parents are concerned about the question of what this condition is connected with and whether it is possible to avoid the development of an allergy to baby food in a baby.

Contents: Hide

State of the art
Food allergy
Major allergens
Prevention is easier than cure
Transition period
Where to start?
Cereal complementary food for allergy sufferers
Benefits of industrial baby food

The current state of the problem

In developed countries, a steady increase in allergic diseases is noted annually, not only among children, but also among adults. There is no definitive answer about the reason for the increase in the incidence rate, but the role of factors such as living in large metropolitan areas, the distance of a person from nature, and a decrease in infectious load at an early age is being discussed. The immune system of the child, not receiving infectious stimuli, begins to respond to factors that normally do not cause any reactions - food, pollen or pet hair. In most babies at an early age, allergy manifestations are associated with food intolerance. Typically onset is in children over 3 months of age, with peak incidence at 5–9months. Often the first symptoms are associated with the start of the introduction of complementary foods.

Food allergies

Why do babies have so many food allergies? In addition to hereditary predisposition to allergic diseases, the immaturity of the digestive system, early cessation of breastfeeding, and disturbances in the intestinal microbiota play an important role. The introduction of foods with a high allergenic potential into the diet, as a rule, gives rise to the first manifestations of allergies. It is not difficult to diagnose this condition, typical manifestations are itchy skin rashes and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Often there is a causal relationship between rashes and the use of a particular product. Allergy symptoms cause anxiety to the baby, disrupt his sleep and quality of life. And the lack of adequate timely treatment increases the risk of further development of respiratory diseases such as allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma.

Major allergens

Almost any food can cause an allergic reaction, but in 90% of cases only a few allergens are responsible for this condition: cow's milk, chicken eggs, wheat, fish and seafood, soy, tree nuts (peanuts are the most common among them). ). Heat treatment does not lead to a decrease in allergenicity, therefore the most effective method of treatment is to completely eliminate the causative product from the baby's diet. Allergy to several products at once occurs quite rarely, but you need to be aware of the possibility of cross-reactions. So, a baby with an allergy to cow's milk protein has a high risk of reactions to the milk of other mammals and beef, with intolerance to a chicken egg, a reaction to chicken meat is likely, and intolerance to other gluten-containing cereals is possible with a reaction to wheat protein. Cow's milk protein is the most common cause of food allergies, so mothers should follow a strict dairy-free diet if their child develops an intolerance. If the baby is bottle-fed, special therapeutic mixtures are recommended in the diet, which are based on the most split milk protein. In addition to the exclusion of dairy products, the timing of the introduction of other strong food allergens - chicken eggs and fish, is being postponed, these products are used in the menu of children older than a year.

Prevention is easier than cure

Is it possible to avoid developing allergies to baby food? Indeed, this disease is better to prevent than to cure. Of course, the presence of allergic diseases in the immediate family determines the risk of developing allergies in the child. Therefore, parents at the earliest stages should take care of the prevention of this condition. Modern experts do not recommend a special diet for mom during pregnancy. Her diet should be complete and varied as much as possible, in reasonable quantities she can eat various foods, including unconditional allergens. The baby, even in the womb, begins to get acquainted with the whole variety of food. Unnecessary use of antibiotics during pregnancy should be avoided and, when planning a mode of delivery, only cesarean delivery should be considered when absolutely necessary. These factors play an important role in disrupting the development of the gut microbiota, which in turn increases the risk of allergic reactions. Another key factor is early breastfeeding. If there is a need for artificial feeding or supplementary feeding to a baby at risk of developing allergies, nutrition should be organized on the basis of special preventive mixtures that a specialist can recommend.

Transition period

The next most important step in the prevention of food allergies is the correct introduction of complementary foods. This is a crucial moment in the baby's life, since on the one hand it is necessary to introduce each product with caution, carefully monitoring possible reactions, and giving preference to low-allergenic products. On the other hand, it is wrong to delay the expansion of the diet. It is important to introduce all major food groups in as much variety as possible between 5 and 8 months. This is the corridor for the formation of an adequate response of the immune system to food products, when it is ready to recognize and accept food, which allows a person to eat these products in subsequent years without the risk of allergic reactions.

Where to start?

In infants at risk of developing food allergies, the general recommendations for starting food groups follow the standard approach. That is, complementary foods can be started with vegetables or cereals. Vegetable complementary foods would be preferable in a child with functional digestive disorders with a tendency to stool retention. Low-allergenic green and white vegetables such as squash, cauliflower, and broccoli are good choices. The first vegetable complementary foods should not contain salt, sugar and prepared without adding milk. In other cases, in children with food allergies or the risk of their occurrence, cereals are the best option for starting complementary foods. Why cereals? Under the conditions of compliance with a hypoallergenic diet by the mother and forced restrictions on the child's diet, cereals, as a source of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals, significantly increase the nutritional, biological and energy value of the diet.

Complementary cereals in the diet of allergy sufferers

Can a child with an allergy or a predisposition to develop it have any porridge? Of course, not any. Dairy-free and gluten-free products are introduced as the first cereal food. Whole cow's milk, due to the high risk of food intolerance, is excluded from the diet of this group of children at least until the end of the first year of life. Accordingly, porridge is prepared on the basis of mother's milk, a specialized mixture or baby water without the addition of salt and sugar. Gluten-free cereals include buckwheat, rice and corn. How to cook porridge based on mother's milk in order to preserve all the valuable biological substances? Cooking is certainly detrimental to the protective antibodies, enzymes, hormones, and beneficial bacteria found in breast milk. Therefore, the best solution is to use commercially produced instant cereals for baby food. Mother's milk or a specialized formula can be heated in a water bath to 40 ° C, add the dry part in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and quickly get a ready-to-eat meal, preserving all the most valuable for the baby's health.

Benefits of industrial baby food

In addition to being quick and easy to prepare, modern industrial baby food products meet high quality and environmental standards. The Bebi Premium product line "Porridges for the first feeding" is a good choice for babies with food allergies or a predisposition to them. It is preferable to start with a subgroup of low-allergenic cereals from this line.