How can starting a certain food too early cause the baby to have allergies?
XXX asked:
I don’t understand how started a food too early can cause allergies. I’ve heard not to start any baby on rice cereal until at least 4 months because it can cause the baby to get food allergies, and don’t give peanut butter because it can cause allergies. Aren’t you either allergic to something or not? I don’t understand how feeding a baby rice cereal at 2 or 3 months old can increase their risk of food allergies. Can someone please explain it to me?
I don’t understand how started a food too early can cause allergies. I’ve heard not to start any baby on rice cereal until at least 4 months because it can cause the baby to get food allergies, and don’t give peanut butter because it can cause allergies. Aren’t you either allergic to something or not? I don’t understand how feeding a baby rice cereal at 2 or 3 months old can increase their risk of food allergies. Can someone please explain it to me?
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I don’t think that’s true at all ! I have 3 kids and they all ate every thing and never got sick , of course if u give too much of anything to a baby they can get sick , because their metabolism isn’t ready for solid foods yet. but those aren’t allergies.
the babies digestive system is not developmentaly ready for certain foods untill certain ages if you introduce something to a baby before their system is ready to accept it then the babies body will treat the new thing as a foreign object and try to fight it off or reject it baby will then have a allerigic reaction and most likely be allergic to it for the rest of his/her life not only that babies tummies and digestive track are very sensitive and untill a certain age has a hard time breaking down anything more complex then breastmilk or formula there is also a risk or choking as well to be safe just go by what your ped tells you normaly baby cereal and first foods can be introduced around 4-6 months , 2 oz of baby juice mixed with 2 oz of water not to exceed 4 oz of juice tottal per day starting at 6 months , purreed meats at 7-8 months , finger foods such as gerber graduates is usually around 9-12 months depending on baby and absolutly no berries,eggs untill the age of 1 and no nuts,peanutbutter or seafood untill baby is two and talk with your doctor about wheat breads and such they usually dont want you giving weat untill after two as well
It’s an area that has a lot of conflicting research at the moment!
There are a number of different things you’re talking about though.
Starting rice cereal early, for example, probably isn’t going to cause food allergies, but at that age your baby is not likely to get any nutritional value from it, as their body isn’t able to do much other than pass it through. This does vary from baby to baby though.
On the other hand, exposing very young babies to things that are known allergens can trigger dangerous immune responses IF they are going to be prone to these types of allergies anyway.
Would you be willing to take the risk that your baby is allergic to something, just for the sake of giving them a particular food?
Some research has indicated that repeated exposure to some allergens over time can increase the allergic reaction to those particular things – think of someone who has had a reaction to a bee sting, and is at risk of anaphylactic shock if they’re stung again.
The precautions are suggested because older children (larger bodies and more developed immune system, as well as more efficient digestive system) are better able to cope with the response to allergens than babies.
Allergies are funny things, too – my son showed signs of having a milk allergy (not the same as a lactose intolerance) when he broke out in a severe rash over his entire body within minutes of being given diluted cow’s milk at 8 months. By the time his allergy tests were performed at 11 months, he showed absolutely no reaction to milk at all. They can grow out of some allergies, but not every child does.
The current research is suggesting that exposing children to very small amounts of allergens will help their bodies develop the appropriate immune response, but nothing I’ve read suggests exactly how one would go about controlling the exposure.