They are also more likely to experience a reaction when their immune system is compromised.ĭon’t introduce an allergen as babies VERY FIRST FOOD. It will be harder to assess if your baby has an intolerance or sensitivity or if that’s part of the illness. Never introduce an allergen for the FIRST time if your baby is unwell. Many food sensitivities will resolve with time and gut support, and this is definitely something Mikal and I can help guide you through in a consultation - as the approach is individualised! Identifying the potential sensitivity early is going to be a lot easier in the long run than trying to work backwards if your little one does develop any of the sensitivity symptoms :) Whilst allergic reactions will generally appear within 2 hours of consuming the trigger food, a food SENSITIVITY or INTOLERANCE generally has a delayed reaction - after 2 hours and within 3 days of consuming the trigger food. You absolutely can and you will still identify allergic reactions that way, but I do prefer to encourage a slower introduction if possible. So, why the slow exposure? Can’t you just give them 3 days in a row? You can offer these allergen foods with a food that baby has been tolerating well. I would recommend introducing the top allergenic foods one at a time, and offer every 3-4 days for 3-4 exposures before introducing any new allergens. HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU EXPOSE UNTIL ‘SAFE’? This means, that once your baby has been shown to have no issues with that allergen, try and keep that food in rotation in your babies diet - there is no hard and fast rule with how often you should keep giving that particular food, but just as a part of a varied diet. The current research recommends repeat exposure of the top allergens to build tolerance and has shown to reduce the prevalence of food allergies. I do not say this to scare you, but rather, to educate you that baby is not ‘in the safe zone’ until a few successful exposures to that allergen. This is because, your baby may not react to that allergen food from the first exposure, but after that first exposure, can build antibodies to that food protein which can present themselves with the second or third exposure through a histamine release, and an allergic reaction. When it comes to introducing the top allergen foods, repeat exposure is key. If you suspect your baby has an allergic reaction, stop giving that food and seek medical advice. It is important to note that some babies may still develop a food allergy despite following this advice. Many expansive studies have now been done that show that the early and frequent exposure (before 12 months) of the top allergens will decrease your babies risk of allergies - so once you do introduce that allergenic food, if your baby tolerates it, try and be mindful to keep that food in rotation in their diet! For the purpose of this blog, I will be listing the allergens from 6 months of age, as that is approximately when I recommend to start your baby on solids - read more about that here. The current allergy guidelines recommend that these foods be introduced between 6 months and 12 months (but not before 4 months). These foods are not responsible for every allergy, however they are responsible for 90% of food allergies in children. How and when to introduce the top 9 allergenic foods
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