I homeschool my children, but my kiddos and I often get out of the house to attend events with our local homeschool group. In addition to co-op and Spanish class, my kids love going to park day once a week when the weather gets warm to play with their friends outside in nature. Snacks are […] More
When you started introducing solid foods to your baby, did you follow the “wait X number of days between each new food” rule? Most sources that I have found online recommend waiting three to five days before introducing new foods. When my daughter was an infant, my nurse practitioner mentioned waiting three days between new […] More
At what age should a parent or other caregiver introduce solid foods to a baby? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), human infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. Complimentary food should not be introduced until after six months. Breastfeeding should then continue for two years or beyond. Parents […] More
As research continues to reveal the protective benefits of the gut microbiota, a recent study published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Allergy suggests that changes to the mix of gut bacteria of young babies may offer a way to predict the future development of food allergies or asthma. For the study, researchers from the […] More
As more and more research unveils the protective benefits of the gut microbiota, a new study as published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concludes that Clostridia, a common class of gut bacteria, provides protection against food allergies. A food allergy is an exaggerated immune response triggered by a specific food. Common […] More
Food allergies have increased in the United States alone in recent years, and treating food allergies in children costs nearly $25 billion annually. Now a new study published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology reports that self-reported food allergies have nearly doubled over the past 23 years among black children. A food […] More
With a warning not to try exposure therapy at home, researchers conducting a study on children with peanut allergies (STOP II trial) discovered that exposing allergic individuals to larger and larger amounts of peanuts over time could build up a tolerance to the nut. The results of the oral immunotherapy (OIT) study were published in […] More
Despite previous recommendations that pregnant women avoid peanuts to reduce the risk of allergies and asthma in their children, new research from the Dana-Farber Children’s Cancer Center in Boston, Massachusetts suggests that women who are not allergic to nuts or legumes and who eat peanuts during pregnancy lower the risk of their child developing a […] More
Following one commonly cited piece of advice on solid foods, many parents opt to avoid introducing their children to high allergy foods until after age one or even age two. High allergy foods include eggs, nuts and peanuts, milk, soy, strawberries, wheat, and fish and other seafood. However, recent research suggests that not introducing babies […] More
Does exclusive breastfeeding cause food allergies to nuts? According to a recent study from the Australian National University, yes, babies who are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life are at an increased risk of developing a nut allergy. The study discovered that the likelihood of developing a nut allergy was 1.5 times […] More
As my daughter approaches her four-month birthday, I have been hearing more and more about starting her on solid foods. Whether it is from well-meaning women my mother’s age telling me a little bit of rice cereal in her bottle will help my daughter sleep through the night or my mom friends enthusiastically asking when […] More
