Infants and allergies

Thankfully, he gained weight throughout infancy,
 because he was nursed

We all developed allergies as we are exposed to them.  You can never actually have a reaction to something that you've never had, or been exposed to.  It has been proven that the earlier an infant eats a food, the more likely they are to develop an allergy to it.  Sure, we all think, that's ok, MY baby wont have allergies.  Lets be honest, someone in your family has some sort of allergies.  Maybe seasonal?  Maybe to just a few foods, or maybe just a drug allergy?  Eczema?  If any of these sound familiar, if there is any history of allergies, it is likely that your child will inherit them, and it is your job to to and prevent them.
Believe it or not, children tend to be most allergic to the foods they are first fed in life.  Children who are not breastfed, are actually SEVEN times more likely to develop a milk allergy.  Why?  Milk is the first food fed to them.  Milk allergies are the most common of them all.  Colic and vomiting are often caused by cow's milk allergy. Eczema--dry, rough, red skin patches which can progress to open, weeping sores--is another common symptom among children allergic to cow's milk. Cow's milk has been found to cause sleeplessness in infants and toddlers. Dairy allergy has also been suggested as a cause of bed wetting in an older child.

When fed cow's milk-based formulas, some babies react simply because of the large amounts of cow's milk they receive. * 

While formulas these days claim to be closer and closer to breast milk, they are still made from a cows milk base.  No matter how many special folic acids, DHA and nutrients are supplemented into them, artificial formula is still made from cow's milk.

For me nursing was uncomfortable, difficult, and awkward.  As much as we pretend that its 'beautiful,' it's not as easy and doesn't come as naturally as most books describe it.  The fact is that every mother I know who nursed, or attempted nursing experienced complications like swelling, pain, too much milk, too little milk, and other challenges.  These challenges happen, you go through phases of all of them, it's yucky, and painful, sometimes depressing, and you want to quit.  But I promise, if you endure, you will give your baby an incredible gift, something that you cannot buy.  Keeping your baby healthy, and eliminating, or postponing allergies will save both you and your child from difficulties in the future.  


Postponing foods helps prevent allergies as well.  Remember, there are allergies somewhere in your family tree, and there is always a chance your baby may have them.  It doesn't matter if your Grandad had hay fever, it could still be passed down as a dangerous food allergy.  AT 4 months your baby is not starving!  They are satisfied, and growing big and strong on their liquid diet.  Waiting until 6 months to offer solid foods can significantly decrease the risk of food allergies.  The longer you wait, the lower the risk!  Experts recommend waiting until 3 years to offer peanut products, like peanut butter!  Talk about waiting a while!  When I bring this up in a conversation, most moms answer with "well the doctor said its ok!"  For lots of people, it is ok, and offering solids at 4 months works out.  But next time you visit your pediatrician ask this question; "When did you offer YOUR baby solids?"  In my experience, the answer is always 6 months or later, a very different answer then when you ask "when can i feed my baby solids".  Plus, I always fall back on these fun facts.  Before 6 months your baby's GI tract cannot properly digest solids, your baby cannot properly swallow, and your baby's likelihood of being overfed, is high because they are too young to show you when they are full.  


Knowing now, what I didn't know when Gabriel was 6 months old, I'm glad I waited until 6 months to offer solid food.  I'm grateful that I read enough books to know how to try one food at a time, and to offer only a few bites in the beginning.  No one could look at my infant and tell me that he would have food allergies.  No one told me that I had to nurse, or that I had to be careful of what I fed him.  In fact, nursing was mostly discouraged.  I was often asked by friends and family... "well.. why would you?" Imagine if didn't? What if Gabriel was fed formula?  Knowing now, how dangerous milk and soy is for him, I am so incredibly thankful that he was never exposed to it in infancy.  Gabriel was very ill as an infant, and I couldn't imagine what it would have been like if he wasn't nursed, or if he would even still be with us.  Maybe most situations aren't as complicated as Gabriel's, but can you imagine what you you could possibly be saving your child from if you are able to nurse, or wait for solids?  I celebrate my sister, who has committed to nursing for one full year, for the second time, along with any other mother who has committed to do the same.  Congratulations, you may possibly be saving you child's life!

*http://www.llli.org/NB/NBJulAug98p100.html