Preventing Allergies in Babies

Allergies in infants are a big concern especially if you or your partner suffers with allergies.

Genetic predisposition greatly increases your baby’s chance to atopic diseases such as atopic dermatitis (eczema), bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, asthma and food allergies.

If one parent has a past history of allergies, the possibility of your child also experiencing allergies is increased by two fold, and four fold if both parents have a history of allergies.

Is There Anything I Can Do About It?

Nobody wants to see their child suffer with bouts of eczema or breathing problems – it’s heartbreaking and can prove to be a very terrifying time.

Fortunately there has been quite a lot of research into finding preventative measures that reduce the possibility and severity of allergies in allergy prone children, and luckily several of these strategies are proving to be very effective.

Breastfeeding Prevents Development of Allergies

There have been several studies that confirm that breastfeeding for four to six months successfully prevents the early development of allergic diseases including asthma, atopic dermatitis, food allergy symptoms and allergic rhinitis up to 2 years of age.

Breastfeeding by far reduces allergic potential in babies in comparison to the use of formulas based on cow’s milk or soy protein that increases the chance of eczema and wheezing.

Unfortunately just simply breast feeding your child may not be the be all and end all to preventing your infant’s allergies later in life. In some studies, certain mothers who breast fed increased the chance of asthma in their child as opposed to non breast feeding mothers.

Allergies can be created from breast milk because your baby can become sensitised to foods that you are ingesting which are transferring through your breast milk, initiating allergies in your baby.

Avoiding Dietary Allergens in Breastfeeding Mothers

Research has confirmed that by reducing dietary intake of common food allergens whilst breastfeeding, increases the protective effects of breast milk against atopic disease remarkably.

Before breastfeeding, determining what foods you are allergic to through an allergy test is beneficial. This will make it much clearer to you, the foods that must be eliminated from your diet whilst breastfeeding up to 12 months so that you can reduce your baby’s allergy potential even further.

If you are not allergic to foods and it is your partner’s side that has the family history of atopic disease, then reducing dietary intake of the main dietary allergens may be suitable.

Cow’s milk in particular is a common dietary allergen that has been linked to the production of colic in infants. It is also a common trigger alongside egg ingestion in the development of eczema in infants during breastfeeding.

Soy, peanuts and wheat are also food allergens that are common in atopic disease in infants.

Probiotics in Breastfeeding Mothers and Infants Prevents Allergic Disease

Probiotics are the beneficial bacteria found in your digestive system that greatly influences the function of your immune system.

In allergic individuals, the amount of beneficial bacteria present in the digestive system is found to be lower in comparison to non allergic individuals.

This environment can greatly influence the correct functioning of the immune system, leading to more allergic tendencies.

Mothers with a family history of allergies who choose to supplement with a probiotic during pregnancy and breastfeeding have shown to reduce the incidence of atopic disease such as eczema in their child.

The protective effects of the probiotics have also demonstrated to prevent allergies beyond 5 years of age.

Choosing a Probiotic

Probiotics are usually kept in the fridge at your health food store. The species of bacteria that have shown to enhance immunity and reduce the prevalence of allergies are as follows;

Lactobacillus Acidophilus
Bifidobacterium lactis
Lactobacillus rhamnosus

The benefits of starting supplementation during the third trimester, will enable the gut and vaginal flora in the mother to be influenced to a more positive and beneficial environment.

By doing so, as the baby is born, their digestive systems are inhabited with more beneficial bacteria than bad bacteria from the mother. This supplies the baby with the best possible start to a healthy immune system and better prevention of allergic disease.

Early Introduction to Solid Foods Increases Allergies in Infants

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If your infant is susceptible to forming allergies through a genetic predisposition, then it is important to follow a few guide lines to prevent your baby from producing several food allergies when new food is introduced.

Food allergies can be produced very easily before the age of two, as the mucosal barrier of the intestinal wall is not matured completely leaving it still permeable to particles of food.

If too many highly allergic foods are introduced too soon, they are able to pass the mucosal barrier easily triggering immune reactions. This initiates food allergies leading to symptoms like atopic dermatitis.

Pediatricians and allergists commonly recommend the following guide lines for the optimum ages to introduce particular foods.

Introduce foods from 6 months onwards – When introducing foods, introduce only one food at a time and in small amounts. Look out for any symptoms that could suspect a food allergy by waiting several days before introducing a different food. Symptoms you should look out for are; bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, refusal of food, colic or a rash.
Introduce cow’s milk 12 months onwards – The casein found in cow’s milk is commonly linked to allergies in susceptible babies. Introducing yoghurt and cheeses don’t seem to cause such allergic reactions if introduced before 12 months old.
Introduce eggs 12-24 months onwards – The white part of the egg is usually what triggers a food allergy in babies as it contains a variety of proteins that commonly trigger an immune reaction.
Introduce peanuts, tree nuts, fish and seafood 36 months onwards

Low Levels of Essential Fatty Acids Can Initiate Allergies

Essential fatty acids also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids must be provided through the diet as the body is unable to manufacture it – thus their name ‘essential’ fatty acids.

These essential fatty acids are Omega 3 (linolenic acid) and Omega 6 (linoleic acid) of which EPA and DHA are found in Omega 3 and Arachidonic Acid and GLA (Gamma-linoleic-acid) are converted from Omega 6.

Unfortunately many people have an imbalance of essential fatty acids in their diet; with too much Arachidonic acid and not enough Omega 3 and GLA.

Arachidonic acid is commonly found abundantly in Western diets due to the excessive intake of animal products. In excess, this fatty acid favours inflammation and the production of IgE antibodies that creates a hypersensitive immune system and anaphylactic allergies, where as Omega 3 and GLA reduce inflammation.

Eating a balanced diet that contains Omega 3, Omega 6 and not too much Arachidonic acid (still very important for your babies growth, but not in excess) is vital not only for your babies immune system but also for brain and eye development.

Mothers are the sole source of essential fatty acids to their babies, if mothers are deficient in these essential fatty acids during pregnancy and breastfeeding, atopic diseases such as eczema and asthma will be more likely to occur.

If you would like to find out more accurate information on food sources of essential fatty acids, you can visit this website that discusses abundant sources as well as the benefits of fatty acids. Please visit Linus Pauling Institute – Essential Fatty Acids .

There Is Hope

By putting in place any of the guide lines that have been mentioned, it can give you peace of mind that you have contributed the best you can to reducing the likelihood of infant allergy in your baby.

If you have had any experience with preventing an infant allergy in your new born baby with any of the above treatment strategies or even others that have not been mentioned.

Please post below to share your story so that other expecting mothers can also benefit from your experience.

References

1. Furuhjelm C, Warstedt K, Larsson KJ, Fredriksson M, Bottcher MF, Faith-Mangusson K, et al. Fish oil supplementation in pregnancy and lactation may decrease the rick of infant allergy. Acta Paediatr 2009 Sep; 98(9): 1461 – 1467

2. Kull, I., Wickman, M., Lilja, G, Nordvall, S L., Pershagen, G. Breast feeding and allergic diseases in infants – a prospective birth cohort study. Arch Dis Child 2002; Volume 87, Issue 6; Pages 478-481

3.Gerrard, J W. Allergies in breastfed babies to foods ingested by the mother. Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology 1984; Volume 2, Pages 143-149.

4. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1985;291:932-935 (5 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.291.6500.932

5. Cant A., Marsden, R A & Kilshaw P J. Egg and cows’ milk hypersensitivity in exclusively breast fed infants with eczema, and detection of egg protein in breast milk. Br Med J (Clin Red Ed) 1985, Volume 291, Pages 932-935

6. Kallimokai M., Slaminen S., Poussa, T., Arvilommi H & Isolauri, E. Probiotics and prevention of atopic disease: 4 year follow up of a randomised placebo controlled trial. 2003, Volume 361, Issue 9372; Pages 1869- 1871

7. Kankaanpaa, P., Suta, Y., Salminen S., Licbtenstein, A & Isolauri, E. Dietary Fatty Acid and Allergy, 1999, Vol. 31, No. 4, Pages 282-287