For babies delaying solid foods may not prevent allergies but breast feeding might

Jan 7 2008

Although the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and others recommend that parents delay the introduction solid foods for 4 to 6 months in order to lower a child's allergy risk, new research is suggesting that this may not be such wise advice.

A new study by German researchers has queried the effectiveness of this strategy and says no evidence was found to support such a recommendation.

The researchers from the GSF-National Research Center for Environment and Health in Neuherberg, found in fact that the delayed introduction of solids beyond 4 or 6 months did not lower children's risk of nasal allergies, asthma or sensitization to common food allergens.

The research team looked at the complete records of 2,073 children and carried out a 6-year follow-up, and they found that those who received no solid foods before 4 to 6 months of age did not have a lower risk of allergies and asthma.

According to the researchers there is scant scientific evidence to support the recommendation to delay the introduction of solid foods issued by the WHO and the AAP.

The researchers say the one possible exception was the skin condition eczema because they found that those who had been given solid foods before 4 months of age were more likely to develop eczema later in life.

They say the possibility that delaying solid foods helps lower a child's eczema risk cannot be excluded.

Dr. Joachim Heinrich, the senior researcher from the Ludwig-Maximillians Universitat in Munich, says parents however should not ignore advice on delaying solid foods as infants need to be developed enough to chew and properly swallow solid foods.

Many experts recommend that, for overall health and development, babies should ideally be breast-fed exclusively for the first 6 months and other research has found that breast feeding a baby can reduce their risk of developing allergies.

In an updated clinical report the AAP has changed their advice to mothers with a family history of allergies to avoid consuming cow's milk, eggs, fish, peanuts and tree nuts while breast-feeding and now say it probably does not matter what pregnant or lactating women eat.

Dr. Frank Greer, an author of the report, who is a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin and chairman of the AAP Committee on Nutrition, says the best prevention for allergies is exclusive breast-feeding for four months.

The report found that there is no convincing evidence that proves that women who avoid peanuts or other foods during pregnancy or breast-feeding lower their child's risk of developing any form of allergy.

The report also found no evidence that mothers should wait before introducing their babies to certain foods such as eggs, fish or peanut butter.

Both pieces of research are published in the current issue of Pediatrics, January 2008.