Allergies and Baby Food – Learn about baby food allergies and how to identify foods that may cause allergies
The “4 Day Wait Rule” and Allergies:
It is important to follow the “four day wait” rule when introducing your baby to new solid foods and even more important if your family has a history of food allergies. When you introduce a new food over the course of several days, you are better able to determine exactly how your baby is reacting to that food. As mentioned, this is most important if you and/or your family members have a history of food allergies.
Following the four day wait rule and introducing new foods one at a time will also enable you to easily begin an “elimination diet”. If you suspect your infant has had an adverse reaction to a new food, you will have just a few foods to look to as the culprit. While we think the “4 day wait rule” is important, many parents don’t wait between introducing foods; it is up to you to decide if you want to follow the “wait” rule.
Is Waiting a Few Days Between Introducing New Foods Really Necessary?
There are many pediatricians who are now saying that waiting a few days before moving onto another food is not necessary at all. Considering new studies that point to the possibility that waiting to introduce allergenic foods may not prove to have any effect on future food allergies [more on this topic below], the “4 day wait rule” seems unnecessary to some. This school of thought has caught on in many circles. In the end, you should take history of food allergies/other allergies into consideration and then decide if you want to follow “the rule” or not.
What time of day is a good time to introduce new foods to your baby?
Introduce new foods during the morning or early afternoon. This will enable you to deal with any adverse reactions when your pediatrician is in office. Should an adverse reaction occur during the morning/early afternoon, it will cause the least amount of disruption in baby’s fragile routine.
How to Spot a Potential Allergic Reaction to Food
Here are several things you might note that may indicate baby has a potential allergic reaction or intolerance to a food.
- Sudden loose, diarrhea stools and/or vomiting
- Sudden rashes on the skin and bottom
- Runny Nose
- Hives
- Irritability and/or gassiness after a new food/meal
- Breathing or other respiratory troubles after a new food/meal
- Swelling of the Face, Lips and/or Tongue
- Closure or tightening of the throat
Remember, an intolerance to a food is not the same as an allergy to a food and its symptoms typically involve trouble within the intestines.
Changes to Introducing Solid Foods – Allergenic Foods & Food Allergies
Charts and food recommendations are conservative in nature. This conservativism is particularly apparent in the recommendations for for introducing possible allergenic foods.
As more and more studies come to light, there is a move to introduce allergenic foods to babies prior to 12 months (or older). The studies published from 2007 and on seem to show that introducing allergenic foods between 6-8 months of age may actually be better sooner rather than later and may provide protection against atopic disease (eczema or asthma for example). For example, introducing your 6 or 7 month old to whole eggs as opposed to just the yolks is given a green light. Please keep in mind that if you have a family history of food allergies, you might want to delay those allergenic foods. Of course, you should discuss this with your baby’s pediatrician!
“Although solid foods should not be introduced before 4 to 6 months of age, there is no current convincing evidence that delaying their introduction beyond this period has a significant protective effect on the development of atopic disease regardless of whether infants are fed cow milk protein formula or human milk. This includes delaying the introduction of foods that are considered to be highly allergic, such as fish, eggs, and foods containing peanut protein.”
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