Prevention of food allergies: experts take stock of food diversification

A varied diet should not be too early and exclusive breastfeeding should be maintained until a baby reaches six months of age, reminiscent of specialists in the "Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology."

Dr. Alessandro Fiocchi, Faculty of Medicine, University of Milan, and his committee colleagues unwanted food to the American college of allergy, asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) reactions have reviewed the published data about food diversification, in order to clarify how to proceed dietary diversification and when an infant can start solid foods other than breast milk or infant formula.

These Italian and American allergists fired four main findings of 52 studies they included. In particular, they observed that carry too early dietary diversification increases the risk of developing food allergies child while avoiding solid foods for a while involved in prevention. They also noted that some products are more likely to trigger allergies than others, and some food allergies are more persistent than others.

This work has enabled specialists to reach a consensus through which they invite especially pediatricians and allergists to be cautious. Main recommendation: the introduction of solids in feeding a baby should be made on an individual basis, depending on the risk of food allergy which the infant is exposed because of family history of atopy or allergy .

According to them, the optimal general scheme is to maintain exclusive breastfeeding until the child reaches the age of six months, knowing that in any case the food diversification should not be initiated during the first four months of a child's life.

Solid foods can be introduced in the diet from the age of six months, in small quantities, always presenting the food cooked during the first exposure and offering one new product at a time, so able to identify any food allergies or intolerances, say experts. "Do not give mixtures before making sure that the child is not allergic to various ingredients of" they continue.

Cow's milk and dairy products can be offered from the age of twelve months, the eggs from 24 months, while it must wait until the child has reached the age of at least three years before making him taste peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews ...), fish and seafood, say experts on the data available.