Food Allergies and Kids: When to introduce foods

Approximately one in 13 children have a food allergy. The CDC says this number has risen by 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. The medical community preached aversion to common allergies for young children for years, but as of 2008, they now recommend exposure. As a physician or parent, it can be difficult to determine what’s best for our children.

Is Exposure The Way To Go?

Some researchers believe there is a window between four to six months of age when an infant can be exposed to allergens and build up a tolerance to them. In other words, giving a bit peanut butter regularly at an early age might prevent a peanut allergy developing later in life.

There is currently a study with 1,300 children underway in the UK applying this theory and early results are expected later this year. The study is adding potential allergens to children’s diets as early as three months but continuing breastfeeding through a minimum of six months.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) recommends introducing allergy-inducing foods after establishing children on the usual solids of fruits, vegetables and rice cereals. They suggest introducing the foods at home and gradually increasing the amounts over several months.

Is Aversion Safer?

For decades the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended allergen avoidance for children up through the age of three, particularly with peanuts and tree nuts. They abandoned this position in 2008 when they found no conclusive evidence that it helped children avoid developing allergies.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Robert Wood, director of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said parents, “can do whatever they want because we’re not sure what makes a difference.” Wood and his team believe a “real cure for food allergies is at least 10 years away.”

As a physician, do you recommend aversion or early introduction of potential allergens to infants? Do you take into consideration any allergies found in the family, particularly the parents? We will be discussing this and more inside the Sermo community. If you’re an M.D. or D.O. please join us.