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Roger Williams Zoo - 10:00 AM
Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East - 11:00 AM
Roger Williams Zoo - 10:00 AM
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New Guidelines and Tips for Early Allergen Introduction to Babies
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:
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Most infants can be introduced to allergenic foods around 4-6 months of age, just like other solid foods.
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Introduce these foods once your baby has eaten and tolerated a few other solids, by introducing new foods at home before baby encounters them in a day care or restaurant.
If no reaction occurs after consuming a new food, gradually increase the amount at a rate of one new food every 3 to 5 days.
Download the free Inspired Start Suggested Feeding Guide for a roadmap on solid food introduction.
Of course, always consult and work with your pediatrician.
Photo by Nicole Starr
Great! You’re all set now. Just create a schedule, introducing one highly allergenic food at a time in increasing increments, while you watch to see how your kiddo reacts. Oh, and make sure to prepare each one in an age-appropriate way, since many of the foods you need to introduce can be choking hazards. Don’t forget to also carefully document every meal, what allergens were introduced, and in what amounts, as well as your child’s reaction. You’re not busy, are you?
If you find that process just a wee bit intimidating, you could also opt for Inspired Start’s new line of baby food. With the help of leading allergists and nutritionists, Inspired Start has developed an early allergen introduction system to eliminate the guesswork, planning, scheduling, and prep, and help parents introduce eight common allergens to their infant’s diet. And the handy food pouches make feeding convenient at home or on the go.
Photo by Sarah Dickenson
Each Inspired Start pouch contains an organic fruit and just a small amount of one allergenic protein. All of the recipes are made with ingredients you would actually find in your own kitchen, and they've been taste-tested by hungry babies just like yours.
Three different packs of pouches are available—Pack 1 introduces peanut, egg, tree nut, and soy; Pack 2 introduces wheat, sesame, shrimp, and shellfish; and the Variety Pack makes it easy to keep all of the allergens into a child's diet—making the system easy to follow, but also flexible for different families. Currently, the packs are available on the Inspired Start website, and on Amazon Prime (It doesn't really get easier than that, does it?).
Photo by Sarah Dickenson
Allergen introduction is a big parenting step that should be tackled cautiously, and with the support of your pediatrician. To read up on incorporating Inspired Start, visit their website.
