From crying it out to co-sleeping, swaddling to self soothing, conflicting parenting ideas can make our poor sleep deprived heads spin. And even more so when it comes to feeding. For decades, new parents were instructed not to introduce possible allergens before baby's first birthday or later. Foods like fish, eggs, cow's milk, and peanuts were stuck under a fridge magnet with a scary warning about potential life-long allergies, and the need to create an allergy management plan, if your little one was found to have an allergy when you finally introduced these forbidden foods.
More recently though, research is changing the way families approach the introduction of potentially allergenic foods. In fact, in 2015, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) said that there is no reason to delay the introduction of potentially allergenic foods past 4-6 months of age - a total reversal from previous beliefs and practices. Since that time, even more research regarding the early introduction of allergens has been pouring in and, most recently, the FDA approved a qualified health claim for the early introduction of ground peanuts just this month.
Head spinning yet? We’ve partnered with Inspired Start to provide tips to simplify introducing potentially allergenic foods to baby, in accordance with AAAAI’s latest information:
