Child Food Allergies:
A New Approach To An
Infant's Health
Leading research in the field of child food allergies has probably just undergone its biggest shift in treatment protocols since the inception of the annual statistics & record-keeping process. Dietitians and nutritionists all over the world have just been introduced to a new schedule of treatment protocols to aid in the care of both adults and child food allergies alike. Former Programs To Allergy TreatmentIn the past several decades, the information was always given to avoid any known serious allergens pre-birth and after birth for the first three years. Mothers-to-be were expected to eliminate all highly probable allergens from their diet so the offending protein would not be passed onto the child through the placenta. After birth, it was recommended all children should then avoid those same products up to about three years of age.The plan was always, by complete avoidance, the child would not have the opportunity of contracting any allergies to those particular allergens. The delay was to allow the digestive system of the child to mature some so it could better withstand the offending proteins as they started consuming the product after 3 years of age. But many types of allergies are on the rise. Some increases are showing a two-fold or more rise within this same time period. Obviously this approach was not working. A New Approach To Child Food AllergiesTo stem this tide of ever-increasing allergies, researchers are implementing a new policy for mothers-to-be, newborns and infants. Now, to prevent child food allergies, a new system of acclimating the child's system to small amounts of the offending proteins is being tried even before birth.Step By Step To A Happy and Healthy BabyDuring pregnancy, mothers are now being asked to eat small amounts of all types of foods. The only exception to this is if she herself has a known allergen. Then avoid that item to prevent herself from becoming sick. But by feeding your baby all kinds of foreign substances, the medical community is hoping this process will aid the child in building up an immunity to the possible allergen(s) while still in the womb. After birth, hopefully breastfeeding is relied on as the baby's first source of nutrition. Continue on with this program of alternating foods and food groups right on through to six months. The mother is being asked to avoid nothing unless it is her own food allergen. If for some reason breastfeeding is not the avenue of choice for the baby's nutrition, then cow's milk is the first choice unless it is not tolerated also. Next, avoid all soy-based formulas and use the hydrolysed formulas instead. Soy seems to create as many or more difficulties as cow's milk. Going directly to hydrolyzed formulas is regarded as a safer option to prevent more child food allergies. Introducing solid foods to your baby has always been up for grabs in the medical community also. Many doctors believe 4 to 6 months is fine. Other pediatricians swear it should never be before 8 months to a year. But research has proven, waiting the whole year is no different than starting earlier when all the testing statistics are compared relating to onset of food allergies. It is still important, starting around 6 months of age, that you introduce only one food at a time and use that one for several days to observe for any adverse reactions. If nothing unusual happens within those few days, pick another item and repeat the process, preferably using homemade baby food if possible. As each new food group gets introduced, adverse symptoms can easily be logged for immediate notification to the child's doctor. Hopes And Dreams For A Better FutureBecause total avoidance has not been a workable solution to the infant food allergy dilemma, scientists, researchers, doctors and parents alike are all hoping these new protocols can reduce the incidence of future child food allergies.
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*Disclaimer*
This site is not intended to replace the advice and supervision of your professional medical treatment plan. Although all of the information is true and accurate to the best of our knowledge, we still recommend you carefully check all food labels before consuming any food product. We can not assume any legal responsibility for any illness obtained while following the advice contained on this site.
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