Preventing food allergies in babies - introducing solids correctly
5 ways to reduce your Baby's Chance of Developing a Food Allergy - introducing solids correctly from a Paediatric Dietitian
As a mum myself, I understand why every mother wants to give their baby the best start in life, particularly when it comes to nutrition.
Introducing solids to infants and managing feeding can be a journey filled with questions and concerns, especially around potential food allergies. For more support and guidance introducing solids to your baby, check out my evidence based Feeding Babies Program with private support group and zoom calls!
It’s important to understand what a food allergy is to recognize symptoms early. Food allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly identifies a normally harmless food protein as a threat. Symptoms can range from mild (rash, hives, stomach pain) to severe (anaphylaxis).
Common foods that cause food allergies in babies:
Common Food Allergens include peanuts, tree nuts (cashews), eggs, milk, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and sesame.
A family history of allergies, asthma, or eczema can increase the likelihood of your baby developing food allergies. While you can ’t change your baby’s genetic susceptibility, being aware of this predisposition allows you to take more proactive steps in prevention and early intervention.
By following evidence-based guidelines, you can significantly reduce the chances of your baby developing a food allergy.
Here are five key ways to reduce your baby’s risk of food allergy when starting solids.
1. Maintain a Diverse Diet During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
The maternal diet plays a role in the baby's developing immune system. Diverse and balanced nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding may help reduce the likelihood of allergies by exposing the baby to various antigens, which can aid in immune tolerance.
What To Include:
- A variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
- Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds, which have anti-inflammatory properties.
2. Breastfeed If Possible and if not possible, choose a formula with pre/probiotics.
Breastfeeding has numerous benefits for your baby's health, including the potential to reduce the risk of food allergies. Aim to exclusively breastfeed for at least the first 6 months if possible.
Breast milk contains important antibodies, prebiotics and nutrients that help strengthen the baby's immune system.
Breastmilk is more easily digested than infant formulas, and changes from feed to feed to suit each baby’s unique needs, making it the ideal food to promote healthy growth and development.
Babies who are fed breastmilk have a lower risk of:
Gastrointestinal infections (e.g. diarrhoea and vomiting)
Atopic disease (including eczema and asthma)
Infections such as middle ear, urinary and respiratory infections
Obesity in childhood and later life
Type 1 and 2 diabetes in childhood or later life
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Breastfed babies are also less likely to be hospitalised for illnesses and infections.
Breastfeeding also has psychological benefits - the close interaction and frequent skin-to-skin contact during breastfeeding can enhance bonding and emotional attachment between mother and baby.
Benefits to the mother:
Research shows that breastfeeding has significant health benefits for mothers. It can:
Assists the uterus to return to its pre-pregnant state faster
Can help women to lose weight after baby’s birth
May reduce the risk of mothers with gestational diabetes developing type 2 diabetes
Reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and pre-menopausal breast cancer
May reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
If breastfeeding isn't possible, please don’t feel guilty, sometimes it just isn’t possible. There are plenty of other ways that we can support your babies gut and immune health. I go into all of this detail inside my Feeding Babies Program which sits inside my membership.
If you are giving your baby a formula, choose one that contains pre and probiotics to support a healthy gut and immune system. It will be written in the ingredients list on the formula tin.
If your baby has a high risk of allergy, consider using a HA formula (partially hydrolysed formula) that also contains probiotics.
You do not need to purchase an extensively hydrolyzed formula unless you suspect actual food allergy such as cows milk protein allergy.
If you do suspect this, then please reach out and we can chat more 😊
3. Introducing “gut friendly” solids to your baby
Introducing your baby to a variety of whole, unprocessed foods including vegetables, fruit, wholegrains and legumes daily in your baby’s meals is a simple but highly effective way to support their gut and immune health
These foods are also known as prebiotics – which feed our healthy bugs in our gut and enable the development of a healthy gut microbiome. This means that your baby’s gut will have a good balance of microbes, which is essential for the development of a robust immune system.
Babies that have a healthy balanced gut microbiome have a much lower risk of developing food allergy.
Preparing home made foods that include plant foods such as vegetables, legumes, fruit and wholegrains with protein/iron containing foods. Avoid processed foods as these can often contain additives, preservatives, and other substances that may negatively impact the developing immune system and gut health.
Pouch food is OK to include at some meals or snacks, but check to make sure there are no preservatives.
Avoid salty puffed baby snacks as they are often highly refined and higher in salt. Avoid giving baby frui/muesli bars daily as they are often highly concentrated in fruit sugar and quite sweet.
Stick to whole foods and include high fat healthy options such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, salmon, sardines (rinsed) and seed or nut butters.
These healthy “gut friendly” foods will not only reduce your baby’s chance of developing food allergy, but they will reduce your baby’s chance of sickness and other health issues.
4.Don’t delay – get allergy foods in early
Whilst it can be a stressful time for parents, the recent research suggests that it is beneficial to get the allergy food in earlier than later when introducing solids to infants.
Introducing allergenic foods early can be beneficial in reducing the risk of developing food allergies.
The Australian Society for Clinical Immunology and Allergy and the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommend introducing the allergenic foods alongside other complementary foods when starting solids.
The most common allergenic foods include cows milk, soy, egg, wheat, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish and sesame.
When introducing new foods, it’s crucial to monitor for any signs of an allergic reaction. Introduce one new food at a time, so that if your baby has a reaction, it will be easier to identify the allergen.
Signs to Watch For:
- Rash or hives
- Swelling of the lips, face, or tongue
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Difficulty breathing or wheezing
- Increased Irritability or excessive crying
Certainly the evidence is particularly strong for introducing eggs an peanuts before the age of 8 month, to reduce the risk of developing an egg allergy or a peanut allergy.
With the other allergens, I would try to introduce them all by the age of 9 months.
How To introduce Food Allergens to Babies:
1. Anytime from 4-6 months, when you are starting solids, you can start introducing the allergenic foods.
2. Introduce one allergenic food at a time – one week at a time.
3. Start with a small amount of the allergenic food mixed with a familiar food.
4. Give them the food in the morning, so that you can watch them over the day.
5. Observe your baby for any reactions, such as hives, swelling, or difficulty breathing, and seek immediate medical attention if these occur.
6. Gradually increase the amount over time if no reactions are observed.
Once the food allergen has been introduced, its helpful to keep the food in your baby’s diet every week to maintain oral tolerance.
5. If needed, use a Probiotic Supplement
There is growing evidence that in high risk babies, probiotics can play a role in reducing the risk of allergies by supporting a healthy gut microbiome. A healthy gut environment influences immune responses and can help in the development of oral tolerance to allergens.
Babies who are at higher risk of developing food allergy include:
1. Babies who have parents or siblings with food allergy or eczema
2. Babies who were born via Caesarian Section
3. Babies who have been exposed to antibiotics
4. Babies who are super colicky with existing gut issues
If you think your baby is at higher risk of developing food allergy then it is safe to include probiotics in the attempt of supporting a healthy gut microbiome and the development of a robust immune system.
Research has shown that this could potentially reduce your child’s chance of developing an allergy.
Consider an age-appropriate probiotic supplement, preferably one that contains the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Vitamin D.
Signs to watch out for with a food allergy when introducing solids.
If you suspect an allergic reaction, contact your doctor immediately. For severe reactions, such as difficulty breathing or swelling of the face and throat, seek emergency medical attention.
For less severe reactions, your paediatrician may recommend allergy testing to identify specific allergens and guide you on how to safely manage your baby's diet.
In summary, as you embark on the journey of feeding your baby, keep in mind that food introduction is a crucial period that can influence your child’s relationship with food and their overall health.
By following these evidence-based strategies—introducing allergenic foods early, maintaining a diverse diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding, considering breastfeeding, using probiotics, and focusing on whole foods—you can significantly reduce your baby’s risk of developing food allergies.
Remember, every baby is unique, and what works for one might not work for another. Always consult with someone like myself, before making any significant changes to your baby's diet.
For more support on introducing solids to your baby or infant feeding guidelines, I have a Feeding Babies Program that you can access inside the Nourishing Kids Membership – which would be perfect for you! Click HERE to learn more!
Resources for Further Reading
- ASCIA - how to introduce solids to babies for allergy prevention
- Early introduction of Allergenic Foods and The Prevention of Food Allergy
- The World Allergy Organization (WAO): Recommendations on allergy prevention
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