At around 6 months baby is ready for solids. It is
at about this time baby's immune system will start
to hold on its own too. It is very important to build
on the strength of your baby's immunity and one way
to go about it is following certain guidelines when
introducing the first foods. Be extra vigilant if
there is a history of asthma, eczema, or other allergies
in the family.
Allergies
do run in families. Apart from genetics,
feeding certain solids too soon, and/or
focusing on one particular food type
without varying at an early age can
give rise to food allergy in your baby. |
|
1. 80% of food related allergy is caused by this group
of foods if they are introduced too early, i.e. as
first foods. Refrain from introducing these foods
to your baby when you first start weaning:
Peanuts
and tree nuts such as walnuts, cow's milk, fish &
shellfish, soy products, eggs and wheat.
2. Puree foods singularly and introduce them one at
a time. This applies to both vegetables and fruits.
Repeat them over 2-3 days to get your child accustomed
to the taste as well as to watch out for reactions.
Once your baby has adjusted to the single form without
any reactions, you can start creating different combinations
of the 'tried and tested foods' to add variety.
3. Use fresh foods whenever possible; in fact the
fresher the better because of the vitamins and minerals
content.
4. Start with the right grains. At this stage rice,
millet, brown rice, and buckwheat are appropriate.
Hold off wheat and oatmeal till later.
5. Go slow. Introduce foods gradually with no more
than two new foods a week. Your baby has a lifetime
to try new foods. Why take the risk of introducing
allergens so soon.
6. Potentially allergenic foods include egg whites,
cow's milk, wheat, shellfish, peanuts, strawberries,
citrus, chocolates and soy and these foods when introduced
(after the first year of baby's life) should be done
gradually, one at a time with all reactions recorded.
Allergies
can happen as early as the first few
months of a child's life. |
|
Preventing Allergies in
a nutshell
Your baby becomes especially prone to developing an
allergy if you, your partner or a close family member
has eczema, allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, urticaria
or food allergy. You can reduce the risk with the
following measures:
For
the first 6 months especially, try breastfeeding
exclusively. |
| Avoid weaning until
baby is at least 6 months old. |
| Include plenty of
EFAs in your diet while breastfeeding.
Avoid eating dairy products, eggs, fish
and nuts and get your doctor's advice
on replacement foods, if necessary. |
Introduce
foods gradually. Delay giving your baby
the following:
cow's milk till baby turns 12 months old
wheat until baby is at least 10 months
old
eggs until baby is at least 11 months
old
cheese, yogurt, oranges, fish and nuts
until baby is a year old
peanuts until child is 5 years old |
| Maintain a food diary
and record all reactions to foods. |
| Avoid processed foods
containing additives, artificial colorings
and flavorings. |
| Rotate foods to avoid
over-dependency on any particular food
|
|
Foods to Avoid Allergy
Chart
6-9 months
| Foods
to avoid |
Foods
to include |
| Citrus
fruits and strawberries |
Pureed
fresh fruits |
| Nightshade
vegetables: tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant,
peppers |
Fresh
vegetable purees |
| Ground
nuts and seeds |
Gluten
free cereals: brown rice, millet, quinoa
etc |
| Eggs |
Beans
and pulses puree |
| Gluten
grains: wheat, oats, barley |
Fish
cooked and pureed |
| Dairy
products: milk, cheese, yogurt |
Chicken
& meat cooked and pureed |
| Soy
products: tempeh, tofu, soy milk |
Dry
fruit purees (unsulphured) |
| Shellfish |
|
|
Take
time to read food labels; the extra
time taken can make a huge difference
to an allergic child's life. |
|
