The Maternal Allergy Connection: Delaying Food Allergies in Children

Published on: October 20, 2002

by Melissa T. Shultz

The predisposition toward allergies is inherited, but the types of allergies may not be. This means you can be allergic to shellfish and your husband to dogs, but your child may end up with an allergy to tree nuts.

If you are pregnant and searching the grocery aisles for food to satisfy your cravings, the choices you make today, will not affect your baby's chances of developing allergies tomorrow. That's because the food you eat when you are pregnant has not been shown to impact whether your baby develops allergies. There are steps you can take however, once the baby is born, to delay or reduce the chance that your child will develop allergies.

Nurse Your Baby: Research has shown that breast milk is much less likely to produce an allergic reaction and can fortify a child's immune system.

Delay Exposure While Nursing: The most common foods with allergens include peanuts and tree nuts, eggs, wheat, milk, soy and fish. Research has shown that if, for example, you eat peanuts while nursing, peanut protein is secreted into your milk, and this can increase the baby's chance of developing a peanut allergy. Consult your doctor about which foods you may want to eliminate from your diet while nursing.

Shop for Special Hypoallergenic Formulas: For infants who are not breast fed or supplemented with breast milk, The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology suggests, "protein hydrolysate formulas such as Alimentum® or Nutramigen® should be used rather than milk- or soy-based formulas." These protein formulas are available at your grocer and have been shown to be less likely to trigger an allergic reaction.

Delay Solids: Experts also agree you should delay feeding your baby solid foods until six months of age then follow your doctors recommendations about introducing foods one at a time. Ready-to-serve baby foods with single ingredients can be found in the baby aisle of your supermarket.

Sources: American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology: Prevention of Allergies and Asthma in Children; The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network: Preventing or Delaying the Onset of Food Allergies in Infants; Allergies and Asthma for Dummies

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