How to reduce the risk of peanut allergy in children
Pediatricians say that if you start giving complementary and solid foods to your baby a little earlier, you will significantly reduce the risk of peanut allergies.
The results of a new study show that infants with a family history of allergies are less likely to develop peanut allergies if their mother gives them complementary foods at 4 months of age.
According to Reuters, these experts emphasize that among children 2 to 3 years old whose parents have allergies, those who ate solid food or cow’s milk in early infancy, are 5 times more sensitive to peanuts, which is an important factor in food allergies. , Decreases. Sensitivity means that the antibodies of a child’s immune system specifically react to an allergen, for example, to the proteins in peanuts.
According to doctors and nutritionists, peanut allergy actually increases the risk of other food allergies.
These findings do not prove that starting supplements early for a baby completely prevents the allergy, but it can at least partially reduce the incidence, said Dr. Christine Joseph Joseph, lead author of the study and an epidemiologist at Ford’s Henry Health System in Detroit. Reduce or reduce the severity of allergies.
He added: In our studies, the existence of this relationship has been shown, but it is still not clear which one is the cause of another. So it is still too early to advise parents to supplement their babies sooner.
The findings were based on a study of 594 children whose mothers were interviewed when their children were one month, six months or 12 months old, and then their children were tested again at 2 and 3 years of age.