The advice parents used to be given about allergens was wrong.
“Avoid allergenic foods until the age of 3, particularly in high risk children.”
The idea behind this was that the babies immune and digestive systems weren’t set yp to handle these foods early on, and that giving them allergenic foods would increase the risk of allergic reactions.
The reality? Completely different.
This advice led to more allergies occurring in Western countries
Allergies in children, especially peanut allergies, rose significantly in the countries where this advice was recommended- the UK, US and Australia.
The interesting thing? In countries such as Isreal, where peanut-containing snacks were commonplace for young children, peanut allergies were far less common.
How the LEAP study changed advice
The LEAP study, led by Professor Gideon Lack at KCL, identified that introducing peanut containing foods between the ages of 4-11 months reduced the risk of developing peanut allergy by over 80% in high risk infants- that is, those with eczema, asthma, or a family history of eczema, asthma and allergies.
The current advice
The current advice is essentially the opposite of the previous:
- Babies can be introduced to allergenic foods from around 6 months of age, but not before 4 months.
- Those at high risk of allergy would benefit from an earlier introduction; between 4-6 months, rather than later, under medical supervision.
TLDR; introduce allergens to your baby earlier in their weaning journey, rather than later!
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