An Australian research institute releases new advice that breastfeeding CANNOT prevent children developing allergies.
The Centre for Food and Allergy Research has revised its previous advice, which states that breastfeeding children for longer could reduce the risk among children of developing dangerous allergies to food like peanuts, cow’s milk and eggs.
However, the centre has now released new guidelines saying that breastfeeding WON’T prevent children developing allergies.
The new advice says there is NO LINK between breastfeeding and children developing allergies.
The research team came to a consensus agreement to change the Australian infant feeding guidelines across all of the partner participants, to the following recommendations:
1. When your infant is ready, at around six months, but not before four months, start to introduce a variety of solid foods, starting with iron rich foods, while continuing breastfeeding.
2. All infants should be given allergenic solid foods including peanut butter, cooked egg, dairy and wheat products in the first year of life. This includes infants at high risk of allergy.
3. Hydrolysed (partially or extensively) infant formula are not recommended for prevention of allergic disease.
Dr Rosemary Stanton, a dietitian who helped write the guidelines, told The Daily Telegraph that there was still ‘dangerous’ advice being given to parents, saying that they should wait until 12 months to feed their babies allergens.
“Certainly if you introduce foods early the intestines aren’t ready. But if you delay introducing foods like peanuts and milk too late then there’s more chance they will develop an allergic reaction to them,” she said.
Most parents start feeding their child solids between four and six months, but others are unsure about timing.
The most common food allergens for children are eggs, cow’s milk, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, seafood, fish and wheat.
Data shows that about one in 20 children have food allergies. Some children do not develop serious allergies, but others have life-threatening allergies that can result in death.
Source: Dailymail.co.uk
