Introducing solids is an exciting stage for babies and parents. You can witness your child’s palate open up to a new world of tastes and textures. At the same time, parents can be apprehensive about this new milestone, as the concern over food allergies is understandably a frightening one.
The good news is that parents can impact allergy development by feeding allergens early, safely, and regularly, as newer research shows that feeding your baby allergenic foods early (starting as early as 4 to 6 months old) helps to reduce the risk of later developing a food allergy.
Let’s look at two very common food allergies in children: milk and eggs.
Introducing allergens
In 2020, the North American Allergy Societies updated its guidelines to recommend introducing all allergens to all children (not only high-risk children) as early as 4 to 6 months of age.
As a registered dietitian dedicated to pediatric and family nutrition, I recommend feeding food allergens one at a time, once a day, for three days and closely monitoring reactions. Each day, increase the amount offered. This is what I call my “Taste, Bite, Normal Portion” strategy.
A typical schedule for introducing and monitoring allergens includes:
- Day 1: Offer a small amount of the allergen, then closely observe and monitor for reactions. Most reactions occur within minutes to two hours after exposure.
- Day 2: Offer a slightly larger amount of that same food and then monitor for reactions.
- Day 3: Increase the food offered to a “normal” serving size and monitor for reactions.
After three days of introduction, it is still possible for a reaction to occur, but the more consistently you offer the allergen, the more you can reduce the risk of an allergy.
Milk allergies
A milk allergy is when your immune system overreacts to milk proteins. I recommend introducing dairy products, like yogurt, cheese, and cow’s milk that is cooked in foods, after your child starts on solids. Cow’s milk and alternative milk as beverages are not recommended until 12 months old, as these can crowd out formula or breast milk, which are appropriate nutrition sources before one year of age.
Full-fat unsweetened cow’s milk yogurt is a great option for dairy introduction. While there are no official guidelines on how much to offer each day, based on research studies and my client work, I recommend:
- Day 1: 1 teaspoon
- Day 2: 1 tablespoon
- Day 3: 2 tablespoons
Egg allergies
Like milk, an egg allergy is the immune system’s reaction to the protein in the food. Research shows that daily incorporation of eggs in the diet of high-risk infants with eczema, as young as 4 months old, reduces the prevalence of egg allergy.
While your child may show an allergic reaction to an egg, they may be able to tolerate foods where eggs have been baked, such as muffins. At the same time, if their allergy is severe enough, eggs in any form can pose a risk.
To introduce eggs to babies, I recommend hard-boiling then puréeing it, or fork-mashing a scrambled egg. The schedule could look as follows:
- Day 1: 1/2 tablespoon
- Day 2: 1 tablespoon
- Day 3: 2 tablespoons
When introducing allergens, continuous exposure to these foods will make the most significant difference in training your baby’s immune system to recognize these foods as safe, reducing the risk of an allergy forming.
With the rates of pediatric allergies rising, and an estimated 5.6 million children with a food allergy, it’s encouraging that we can positively impact our children by introducing allergens early and consistently. Remember to always consult with your pediatrician before starting solids and introducing allergens.
*Disclaimer: The advice on Mom.com is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.
