How to safely introduce allergens to your baby

Introducing your baby to solids can be an exciting new chapter for you and bub—up until now they’ve most likely just had milk and/or formula. Solids introduce them to exciting new textures, flavours, and fun new ways to make a mess! However, introducing solids also introduces parents to a new source of worry: allergic reactions.

We chatted to Dr Mariam Chaalan, who is the co-founder of Taste Bubs, an allergen starter pack for infants. Their doctor-designed and parent-approved starter packs help take the stress out of introducing your little one to common allergens like peanut, egg and soy. We asked Dr Chalaan to give us the lowdown on all things allergies, and how best to introduce them.

Did you know Australia is often referred to as the ‘Allergy Capital of the World’, with around 1 in 10 infants experiencing allergies? While there’s no definitive cause, research has identified a couple of risk factors, including eczema, environmental factors (like low Vitamin D levels and lack of exposure to pets) and a delayed introduction of allergens to infants.

“Research now shows that early introduction to allergens can help reduce the risk of developing a food allergy,” Dr Mariam says. But with stress and uncertainty around allergic reactions, parents often put off introducing allergens. Plus, the old advice was to wait.

“Up until roughly 2015, doctors (just like us) recommended that infants avoid the common food allergens until around age 3. The core idea, which was based on expert opinion since clinical studies were lacking, was that limited exposure would prevent the development of allergies. Unfortunately, this resulted in a catastrophic rise in food allergies all over the world, no place worse than Australia.”

But new research has highlighted the need for early interventions.

“Contrary to popular belief, the LEAP Study published in 2015 showed that early and regular peanut consumption achieved an 81% reduction in the prevalence of peanut allergy at 5 years of age. The LEAP study universally changed how we think about allergies.”

The advice these days? Getting your baby exposed to the top allergens before they turn 12 months old.

“The current best practice guidelines recommend introducing all the common food allergens before 12 months of age. As doctors, we know how important it is to introduce common food allergens early on, but as parents, we also know how challenging and overwhelming it can be.” Dr Mariam explains.

She also says it’s important to persevere though, as food allergies can have serious consequences. “Food allergies can be life-threatening, and they can develop at any time, so early and ongoing introduction of allergens is crucial in reducing the risk of food allergies in children.”

Dr Mariam says the key to introducing allergens is to do it early and do it often.

“Early means around the time your child is starting solids, and often means a few times per week. Only introduce one common allergy-causing food at each meal, so that the problem food can be easily identified if there is an allergic reaction.”

There’s also a few other key factors, like making sure your baby is well at the time, and not giving babies an allergen right before they go to bed at night.

“It’s advised that at least one adult be present to give their full attention to the infant and be available for a few hours afterwards (and at a time bub is usually awake) in case allergy symptoms develop.”

If your little one doesn’t have an allergic reaction, Dr Mariam says you’ve got the all-clear to keep it in their diet, especially as most allergens are also healthy foods. “The common allergens are all healthy, high-protein foods, and are important foods in a youngster’s diet.”

It’s important to know what an allergic reaction looks like, and then they’re likely to occur. 

“Allergy symptoms usually develop within minutes of eating a food but can occur up to 2 hours after ingestion.” Dr Mariam says, and that mild to moderate signs of an allergic reaction can include:

• swelling of the face, lips or eyes
• hives or welts on the skin
• tingling mouth
• abdominal (stomach) pain
• vomiting

Anaphylaxis, however, is the most severe type of allergic reaction and should be treated as a medical emergency.  Signs of anaphylaxis include any one of the following: 

• swelling of the lips, eyes, or face
• breathing symptoms such as difficulty breathing
• a persistent cough or wheeze
• young children may be pale and floppy

“Call an ambulance immediately if there are signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), such as difficult/noisy breathing or your baby becomes pale and floppy, or if there is tongue swelling.” Dr Mariam urges.

Dr Mariam says it’s important to monitor your baby after they’ve been exposed to an allergen, as while most allergic reactions occur quite quickly, it sometimes takes up to two hours for there to be a reaction.

“If you notice any swelling of the lips, eyes or face, hives or welts, vomiting, or any change in your baby’s behaviour (aka unsettled), soon after giving a new food, your baby could be having an allergic reaction. You should stop feeding your baby that food and seek medical advice.”

Other reactions to food can be quite delayed, so if ever in doubt, talk to your GP. Dr Mariam also says that any minor redness around your baby’s mouth is more likely to be a skin irritation, rather than an allergic reaction.

As mentioned, if you suspect a severe allergic reaction, treat it as a medical emergency and call 000 immediately.

This is not to invoke panic but to prepare parents for what to look out for when they introduce allergens. Raising Children Network offers a reminder that severe allergic reactions are much less common than mild or moderate allergic reactions, and that ‘deaths from severe allergic reactions are rare.’

They also suggest having an Epipen at home, just in case you might need to use it.

Introducing allergens to your baby shouldn’t be a cause of intense stress for parents, and Dr Mariam hopes that education and awareness should help parents feel empowered when it comes to allergens.

“You should not feel the need to go to their local emergency room parking lot to feed an allergenic food for the first time, as feeding this food in non-choking form for the first time in most bubs is safe and rarely causes a reaction.”

When it comes to introducing your baby to allergens, do it early (before they’re 12 months old) and do it often (several times a week) is the current best practice.

“After your baby has been introduced to all the common allergens and eaten them on a few occasions without reaction, try to make these foods a regular part of your child’s diet.” Dr Mariam suggests. 

And if you think your child does have allergies, book in with your family GP to get an assessment.

Disclaimer

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your child’s medical history.