A recent study suggest that waiting to introduce babies to cereal
grains might not be a good idea if parents want to prevent food allergies.
Babies who waited to eat grains until after six months of age more likely
to develop wheat allergies, researchers report.
“At
Children’s we follow the guidelines of starting single grain cereals
between 4 to 6 months of age, as long as the child is developmentally
ready for solids,” said Mary Susan Spears, a clinical and registered
dietitian at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Spears says that prior to
introducing solid food, a child should be able to hold her neck steady
when sitting with support and should draw in her lower lip when a spoon is
removed from her mouth.
Controversy exists about when to
expose babies to cereal grains, which are typically the first foods that
babies eat after breast-feeding.
Some specialists
recommend cereal grains be introduced after six months of age, while
others advise that they be given between four and six months.
Study findings
Food allergies are becoming more
common among U.S. children, affecting an estimated 3 percent to 6 percent
of all children. Wheat allergies are among the top five allergies, which
also include egg, milk, soy and peanut allergies.
The new
study revealed that children who were first exposed to cereals (wheat,
barley, rye and oats) after six months were nearly four times more likely
to have developed an allergy than those who first ate cereals
earlier.
The risk of wheat allergy also went up by 1.6
times if the child was exposed to rice cereal after six months of age and
by nearly four times if a parent or sibling had asthma, eczema or hives,
the researchers found.
Spears says she is not surprised by
the findings. “The best indicator that a child might develop a food
allergy is a history of eczema, asthma or family history of these
conditions,” Spears said.
The study confirms the advice of
the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommends parents introduce
cereal grains between four and six months of age.
Resources
Children’s Medical Center
American Academy of Pediatrics
