Food allergies linked to asthma in babies

[Ruth_Baldock]

Considering my HV was practically useless when I asked her this, I thought I'd ask the real experts...

I'm weaning my son, and I'm confused about what I should avoid giving to him. I had heard that wheat, gluten and some proteins should be avoided until he's one, and also dairy, because I suffer badly from asthma (and used to suffer from eczma, but grew out of it in my early teens). It would be brilliant if I could give him proteins, as well as wheat and dairy (cheese! bread! easy peasy!) but I have been holding back because I don't really know where I stand on this. Son has slow/static weight gain and I am at my wits end trying to bulk him up a bit- no amount of shoving the boob in his face (he fusses when I try to BF, hello self weaning...) and formula feeds and Ella's Kitchen pouches seem to be doing much. He's on three meals a day, with fruity snacks in the mid afternoon too...would love to give him some pitta and (home made) hummous, but don't know if I SHOULD.

Any thoughts?

[poppy]

Hi Ruth,

In the book the health visitors give out, it just says to introduce common allergenic foods after six months and one at a time if there is a family history of allergies, so that you can tell what has caused any reaction in your baby. These include eggs, wheat, milk etc. The only thing it mentions holding off with for longer is peanuts, which it says to wait until they're three. Just cross referenced this info with Annabel Karmel - she says pretty much the same, so sounds as though little Seb should be fine with the bread and cheese, but maybe introduce one first and the other a few days later!

[Ruth_Baldock]

D'oh, I have Annabel Karmel's book too. Should've looked, really. Dearie me.

Definitely going to steer clear of egg as I have an awful reaction to them (a shame, I do love me egg and soldiers).

I'll be giving him some torn up pitta tomorrow, as an 'experiment' so he can have his bready snack/distraction whilst me and Nick are eating lunch. We may get to eat a meal with him awake without one of us having to hold him constantly! Imagine!

[Belle]

i have the same things - asthma and eczema and it runs on both side of the family, son already has the latter - but I gave him all the things you mention from pretty early in the weaning process. the only things I've ever seen an obvious reaction to (not any more though) where tomato sauce type things, but literally a v superficial reaction - ie w hen smeared on cheeks, they'd go red (after washing sauce off I mean). Apparently all the boys on husband's side did that. Anyway point is all the supposed 'baddies' seem fine so think it's a case of try it and see. I think as well as nuts (think perhaps this is because of choking hazard too), the other main thing people warn you to hold off on is honey. Pitta and hummous = fab staple so go for it!

[Fuschia]

I wouldn't trust AK as a source on allergies.. I don't think she is a qualified nutritionist?

I was worried v. much about allergies with son no 1 (asthma, eczema, food allergies, cows milk protein allergy and coeliac disease in the family) and delayed dairy, wheat and citrus until 9m+... used the Sainsburys "Free from"range for pasta/bread etc at first. Corn and rice pasta is easy to get these days

[GinaG3]

I don't believe she is qualified either. After her first child died of a rare condition I believe she spent a matter of years researching child nutrition, but never became qualified. Was she awarded an MBE though for her work? Anyway..

I too have been through all the above with my Daughter. A number of serious allergies run in our family, so have had to be very careful. I gave only fresh fruit and veg when I first started weaning and did so for the first 7 months ( my choice totally ). You can introduce things such as wheat at around 9 months ( wheat is a big one in my family but my daughter seemed to be fine with it at this age ) I waited until gone 1 year to introduce diary. You can introduce well cooked eggs from a year also, needless to say she didn't like them. I definitely will not give her anything containing egg in its raw form until she is probably over 2.

My daughter comes up in a rash if she has too much diary, but this isn't very often. I also found that she would come up in a rash with pasta, not bread though (figured this was the starch in the pasta causing this). Apricots produced a heavenly rash almost as soon as being put to her lips, so I dropped out any stoned fruit for a while.

If you introduce something new every week, they say 2-3 days but personally I don't find this really long enough if there are many common allergies in your family. Never introduce two things at once as if they is a reaction you wont know what has caused it.

Obviously this is just my advice from my experience. Just takes a while introducing one a week, but I will tell you I feel better for it now as I am very confident in what she can and cant eat.