INTERVENTION:
To begin solid food introduction at 4-6 months of age – including allergenic foods.
INTERVENTION GOAL:
To decrease risk of food allergies and possibly asthma.
EVIDENCE supporting INTERVENTION:
Children who ate a varied diet during the first year of life were less likely to have food allergies and less likely to develop asthma.
Infants given cooked egg between 4 and 6 months of age were less likely to develop an egg allergy.
Infants given peanuts between 4 and 11 months were less likely to develop peanut allergy compared to infants that avoided peanuts until after 1 year.
POTENTIAL RISK:
It is possible that a child at high risk for allergies is already sensitive or allergic at the time of food introduction and has an allergic reaction with his/her first exposure.
INTERVENTION SPECIFICS:
For infants without eczema or other known allergic disease – start with solid foods between 4 and 6 months of age.
-Solid foods should include, cow’s milk, egg, peanut and tree nuts in safe forms (minimizing choking hazards). Foods should be introduced with a first taste followed by a gradual increase in quantity. New foods should be introduced every 3-5 days.
-For infants with moderate to severe eczema or known allergies, start with solid foods between 4 and 6 months of age. Discuss with pediatrician and allergist the need for skin testing to allergenic foods at 4 months of age before including cow’s milk, egg, peanut and tree nuts in the diet.