Allergenic foods for babies

There are currently 9 categories of foods with high allergy risks for infants recognized in the field of global pediatric nutrition, including milk, eggs (especially egg whites), peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, almonds, etc.), seafood such as fish, shrimp, crab and shellfish, wheat, soybeans, sesame, mango/pineapple/kiwi and other irritating/fluffy tropical/subtropical fruits.； At the same time, the previously circulated statement that "highly allergenic foods should be introduced later than 1 year old or even 3 years old" has been overturned. Babies without a family history of severe allergies should introduce these foods in small doses as early as possible (preferably within the first 3-4 months of adding complementary foods) after adding complementary foods at 6 months of age, which can actually reduce the risk of allergies.

Not long ago, I helped my best friend take care of her 7-month-old baby. She locked all the eggs and peanuts at home into the top shelf of the cupboard, saying she was afraid that the baby might be allergic. However, when she went to see a childcare provider last week, the doctor told her: "It's too late now to add highly allergenic foods. If you wait until you are 1 year old to add more allergenic foods, you will be more susceptible to allergies." ”She came back and complained to me that she had done three months of homework in vain. In fact, she is not the only one. Many new parents around me still hold on to old ideas and dare not touch these things for their children.

Speaking of which, I have to mention the differences in concepts of allergy feeding in recent years. The two schools really have their own reasons. Most doctors who practice evidence-based pediatrics support early addition, based on large-sample research data from around the world in the past decade: For example, the British LEAP study shows that babies with a high risk of allergies who regularly eat peanut products between the ages of 4 and 11 months have an 80% lower probability of peanut allergy by the age of 5 than those who do not eat them at all. However, many veteran pediatricians with 20 to 30 years of clinical experience still advise parents that it is best to add egg whites and peanuts after the age of 1, especially for children whose parents have allergic rhinitis, asthma or a clear history of food allergies. It is always right to be cautious - the two statements are actually not conflicting. The former is a general conclusion at the statistical level, and the latter is a conservative suggestion based on individual differences. After all, the development rhythm of each child's immune system is very different, and it really cannot be generalized.

Don’t believe it, my cousin’s baby is a typical example. The couple both have allergic rhinitis, and the child is at high risk for allergies. The elders in the family are afraid of allergies and say that seafood should not be touched until the age of 3. However, when the child was 2 years old, he ate a bite of steamed shrimp at a relative's house, and his mouth swelled into a sausage on the spot. He was also wheezing severely. He was sent to the emergency room and was told that it was angioedema, which is a seafood allergy. Later, I went to the allergist, and the doctor said that it was too late, and the immune system had not established tolerance. It took more than half a year to desensitize, and I started to increase the amount of cooked shrimps as big as millet grains every week. Now at the age of 3 and a half, I can finally eat shrimps normally.

Oh, by the way, another highly allergenic food that is easily overlooked is sesame. A while ago, I saw a post from a mother who said that she added a little bit of commercially available baby sesame paste to her baby's food. As a result, her baby got wheezes all over her body. I went to the hospital for a checkup and found out that she was allergic to sesame. Many people think sesame is mild, but they don't pay special attention to the dose added for the first time. There are so many people who fall into this trap. There are also many parents who see the corners of their children's mouths turning red after eating strawberries and kiwis, so they directly blacklist these fruits. In fact, most of the time it's just the fruit acid in the fruits that irritates the delicate perioral skin. It's not really an allergy. Next time, just scrape it into mud and don't get too much in the corners of the mouth. If you are really worried, wipe your mouth with a wet towel immediately after eating. There is no need to stop eating due to choking.

There is another controversial point: Should I test my baby for allergens in advance before adding complementary foods? Those who support it believe that checking in advance can avoid minefields and save the baby from suffering. ； The opposition believes that the current routine blood test is for IgE-mediated immediate allergy, and the false positive rate in infants and young children can reach more than 30%. That is to say, if the test shows that they are allergic to eggs, there is a high probability that they are actually fine after eating it. Instead, they dare not give it to their babies because of the report, which can really easily induce allergies later. The current consensus in the industry is that if the baby has never had allergic symptoms, there is no need to do an allergen test in advance. Just add complementary foods at a normal pace. ； If you have a severe family history of allergies, or have experienced repeated eczema or unexplained vomiting and diarrhea, you can seek evaluation from a doctor first. If necessary, do a prick test before making a feeding plan. Don't just go to a physical examination institution to get a blood test and then report that you are forbidden to eat.

Oh, yes, and don’t confuse allergies with intolerances. For example, some babies who drink ordinary formula may have diarrhea and fart a lot. They may just be lactose intolerant, not cow’s milk protein allergies. Don’t switch to expensive, bitter-tasting deeply hydrolyzed milk powder as soon as it comes up. On the contrary, it will affect the baby’s milk supply. Go to the hospital and do a simple breath test to find out. You really don’t need to make blind judgments on your own.

In fact, there is really no need to pay much attention to the introduction of highly allergenic foods. When you add it for the first time, give it a little bit. For example, the egg yolk should be as big as a mung bean. Mix it in the rice cereal that you have already eaten and are not allergic to it. Eat it for 3 days in a row. If you don’t have rashes, frequent vomiting, or diarrhea, you can slowly increase the amount. If your baby develops shortness of breath, swollen face, or hoarse voice after eating it, send him to the hospital immediately without delay.

After all, there is really no standard answer to raising a baby. You don’t have to dare to feed your baby anything if you see someone saying you are allergic. Don’t be so worried that you stuff a whole shrimp into your baby for the first time. Observe your baby’s reaction more than any guide. If you are really not sure, find a reliable pediatric nutrition department or allergist to ask, don't frighten yourself by making blind decisions.