Solid foods: delaying them may cause allergies
When to start baby on solid foods is one of those topics where you'll never get just one or two opinions.
A lot of CafeMoms, especially those in the breastfeeding groups, strongly believe it's better to nurse your baby without any type of supplementation for at least one year.
Some say any time is the right time -- to let your baby tell you when she's ready, by looking for the signs.
But by en large the most popular pediatric recommendation is to wait at least six months before introducing solids, up to which time it's best if you breastfeed exclusively. This is largely to prevent allergic diseases. An infant's immune system is immature, and introducing solid foods solid foods early may instigate sensitization to foods and inhaled allergens.
Now research is throwing that in reverse. MedPage Today reports a new Finnish study that found delaying solid foods may actually be linked to food allergies later on in life.
The researchers looked at the data of nearly 1,000 children and found that late introduction of potatoes, oats, rye, wheat, meat, fish, and eggs was significantly associated with a sensitization for food allergy, albeit after different time periods: 4 months for potatoes, 5 months for oats, 7 months for rye, 6 months for wheat, 5.5 months for meat, 8.2 months for fish, and 10.5 months for eggs.
What age did you introduce solids to your baby? Did you break any of the food "rules" outlined by your child's pediatrician or care provider?
Written by Cynthia Dermody for CafeMom's Baby Buzz
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