Have Infants Start Eating Grains Earlier Rather than Later
A new study reported in Pediatrics suggests that waiting to introduce babies to cereal grains might not be a good idea if you want to prevent food allergies.
Babies who did not eat grains until after they were six months old were more likely to develop wheat allergies, researchers report.
"We recommend introducing cereal grains between four and six months of age," says study co-author Dr. Jill Poole, an assistant professor of allergy, asthma, and immunology at the University of Nebraska.
Dr. Poole initially expected the research would confirm the post-six-months recommendation.
For reasons that are not entirely clear, food allergies are becoming more common among US children, affecting an estimated 3 percent to 6 percent of all children, notes Dr. Poole.
Wheat allergies are among the top five allergies, which also include egg, milk, soy, and peanut allergies.
There has been controversy about when to expose babies to cereal grains, which are typically the first foods that babies eat after breast-feeding.
Some specialists recommend cereal grains be introduced after six months of age, while others advise that they be given between four and six months.
For the new study, Dr. Poole enrolled 1,612 children between 1993 and 2004 and followed them through the age of four.
Just one percent of the children - 16 children - developed wheat allergies.
But the study revealed that children who were first exposed to cereals (wheat, barley, rye, and oats) after six months were nearly four times more likely to have developed an allergy than those who first ate cereals earlier.
The risk of wheat allergy also went up by 1.6 times if the child was exposed to rice cereal after six months of age and by nearly four times if a parent or sibling had asthma, eczema, or hives, the researchers found.
Dr. Poole acknowledges that the number of children in the study who developed grain allergies was very small.
But, she adds, there was a "strong association" linking their allergies to their introduction to cereal grains.
Why would it matter when babies eat cereal grains for the first time?
It seems to have something to do with the immune system, which overreacts in people with allergies, explains Dr. Poole.
"Previously, we had thought if you delay giving foods to a child, it gives their immune system time to become mature and develop," she says.
But the study findings seem to question that theory, suggesting that perhaps the body's immune system "needs to see the food protein earlier to know it's not something harmful, and it shouldn't react to it," notes Dr. Poole.
It may also be possible that children who begin eating grains later may eat more, potentially aggravating their immune systems, she says.
Dr. Kevin Murphy, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Nebraska, says genetic factors also appear to play a role in the development of allergies.
He calls the new study "excellent," and says it confirms the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics - introduce cereal grains between four and six months of age.
Always consult your physician for more information.
|
When starting solid foods, give your baby one new food at a time - not mixtures (such as cereal and fruit or meat dinners).
Give the new food for five to seven days before adding another new food. This way you can tell what foods your baby may be allergic to or cannot tolerate.
Egg whites are more likely than egg yolks to cause an allergic reaction.
Most physicians recommend that you wait until after one year to introduce whole eggs.
Begin with small amounts of new solid foods - a teaspoon at first and slowly increase to a tablespoon.
Begin with dry infant rice cereal first, mixed as directed, followed by vegetables, fruits, and then meats.
Do not use salt or sugar when making homemade infant foods. Canned foods may contain large amounts of salt and sugar and should not be used for baby food.
Always wash and peel fruits and vegetables and remove seeds or pits.
Take special care with fruits and vegetables that come into contact with the ground. They may contain botulism spores that cause food poisoning.
Infant cereals with iron should be given to your infant until your infant is 18 months old.
Cow's milk should not be added to the diet until your infant is one year old. Cow's milk does not provide the proper nutrients for your baby.
Fruit juice (100 percent juice, without added sugar) can be given when your baby is able to drink from a cup (around 6 months or older).
Feed all food with a spoon. Your baby needs to learn to eat from a spoon. Do not use an infant feeder. Only formula and water should go into the bottle.
Avoid honey in any form for your child's first year, as it can cause food poisoning.
Do not put your baby in bed with a bottle propped in his/her mouth. Propping a bottle has been linked to an increased risk of ear infections. Once your baby's teeth are present, propping the bottle can also cause tooth decay. There is also a risk of choking.
Help your baby to give up the bottle by his/her first birthday.
Avoid the "clean plate syndrome." Forcing your child to eat all the food on his/her plate even when he/she is not hungry is not a good habit. It teaches your child to eat just because the food is there, not because he/she is hungry.
Expect a smaller and pickier appetite as the baby's growth rate slows around 1 year of age.
Infants and young children should not eat hot dogs, nuts, seeds, round candies, popcorn, hard raw fruits and vegetables, grapes, or peanut butter. These foods are not safe and may cause your child to choke. Most physicians suggest these foods be saved until after your child is three or four years of age.
Always watch a young child while he/she is eating. Insist that the child sit down to eat or drink.
Healthy infants usually require little or no extra water, except in very hot weather. When solid food is first fed to your baby, extra water is often needed.
Do not limit your baby's food choices to the ones you like. Offering a wide variety of foods early will pave the way for good eating habits later.
Fat and cholesterol should not be restricted in the diets of very young children, unless advised to by your child's physician.
Children need calories, fat, and cholesterol for the development of their brains and nervous systems, and for general growth.
Always consult your physician for more information.
|
