Prevent Food Allergies By Introducing Your Kids To Eggs And Peanuts Early On
The earlier your kids experience the sublime joy of crispy fried eggs in the morning, the better, suggests new research published Wednesday in JAMA, though parents with children who have conditions such as eczema and other allergy risks may need to exercise a little more caution.
Researchers conducted an extensive review of more than 100 studies looking at children’s risk of allergy with or without the introduction of certain foods such as milk, eggs, peanuts, shellfish, wheat and soy in their first year of life. While the timing of eating most foods didn’t appear to influence overall allergy risk, they found consistent evidence that children who ate peanuts and eggs as early as four months into life were less likely to later develop peanut and egg allergies. There was also evidence, if less sturdy, that the early introduction of fish could reduce the risk of hay fever. Conversely, the researchers were more certain that the risk of developing celiac disease wasn’t influenced by the time when children first ate gluten.
“In this systematic review, early egg or peanut introduction to the infant diet was associated with lower risk of developing egg or peanut allergy,” concluded the authors. “These findings must be considered in the context of limitations in the primary studies.”
The study’s findings bolster an ongoing shift in how doctors and immunologists approach food allergy prevention. As recently as the early 2000s, doctors recommended that families delay feeding their children foods known to be allergenic such as eggs and peanuts, and that mothers avoid eating these foods themselves during pregnancy. More recently, however, research has demonstrated that these strategies may actually increase the risk of food allergy or at least do nothing to prevent them. And other reviews have similarly found that the early introduction of problematic foods can reduce allergy risk.
Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) have since advocated a new strategy: Gradually introduce eggs and peanuts to your child’s diet between the ages of 4 to 11 months alongside a variety of low-risk allergenic foods as well as regular breastfeeding or a suitable replacement (hydrolyzed infant formulas, for instance.)
While some studies have found that early introduction of eggs can reduce the occurrence of egg allergy by as much as 80 percent in high-risk children, the authors of the current review felt less confident putting forth a concrete figure, largely because the studies varied in quality or were otherwise imprecise. And despite the overall good news, they still refrained from fully endorsing “new recommendations to feed egg and peanut to all infants," at least not until more conclusive research is performed.
Children with a history of allergy in their family are known to be at greater risk of developing their own allergies, which makes them both more likely to benefit from food allergy prevention and places them in greater danger when allergenic foods are first introduced into their diet. In light of that reality, the AAAAI recommends that parents of high-risk children consult with their doctor when introducing their children to new allergenic foods and closely monitor them for any adverse reactions. Children with pre-existing allergies like eczema may also need to be more cautious.
Source: Lerodiakonou D, Garcia-Larsen V, Logan A, et al. Timing of Allergenic Food Introduction to the Infant Diet and Risk of Allergic or Autoimmune Disease. JAMA. 2016.