Infant Feeding Recommendations for Protection Against Allergies Updated
The American Academy of Pediatrics has revised its child-allergy guidelines. The changes update earlier recommendations that mothers should avoid eating certain foods during pregnancy and avoid feeding their infants certain formulas, in order to prevent food allergies, asthma and allergic rashes.
The academy now says that the only surefire advice for preventing these allergies is breast-feeding. Previously, the group had advised mothers of infants with a history of allergies to avoid cow’s milk, fish, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts while they breast-fed, which led to some parents feeling responsible for their children’s developing allergies.
The group found no convincing evidence that women who avoid those foods during pregnancy or while breast-feeding help lower their child’s risk of allergies. However, research has shown that exclusive breast-feeding can help lessen a child’s risk of rashes and allergies to cow’s milk and protect against wheezing in babies.
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