Late introduction of foods increase allergy risk

Children who are introduced to certain foods later are likely to become sensitised to them, increasing their risk of developing full-blown allergies.

It is universally recommended that babies should be breastfed exclusively up to six months of age, at which time parents can begin introducing solid food. But there is evidence that this strategy may increase children's likelihood of developing allergic diseases. Concerns have also been raised that parents with allergies themselves may wait to introduce solid foods to their infants, which could mask the relationship between timing of food introduction and allergies.

To investigate, the researchers looked at 994 children participating in a study of diabetes prevention. All had been followed since infancy. The average duration of exclusive breastfeeding among the children was less than two months. At the age of five years, 17 percent had food allergies, while 23 percent were sensitized to certain inhaled allergens. Twelve percent were sensitized to cow's milk, 9 percent to eggs, 5 percent to wheat, and 1 percent to fish.

It was found that late introduction of some foods increased the likelihood that a child would be sensitized to that food by the time he or she was five years old, whether or not the child's parents had allergies themselves. The relationship was strongest for eggs introduced after ten months, oats introduced after five months, and wheat introduced after six months. Late introduction of potatoes (after four months) and fish (after about eight months) increased children's likelihood of developing sensitization to inhaled allergens.

The findings suggest that for children at risk of developing allergies, early introduction of foods may help prevent sensitization from occurring.

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