Key Points
Include Common Allergenic Foods
- Timing: Introduce by 12 months in an age-appropriate form.
- Examples: Well-cooked egg, smooth peanut butter, cow’s milk (dairy), tree nuts (e.g., cashew or almond paste), soy, sesame, wheat, fish, and other seafood.
- Evidence: Reduces the chance of developing food allergy in high-risk babies.
One Allergenic Food per Meal
- Purpose: To easily identify problem foods if allergic reactions occur.
- Method: Introduce one common allergenic food at a time.
Regular Introduction
- Frequency: Twice weekly for non-reactive foods.
- Importance: Prevents the development of food allergies by maintaining regular exposure.
Variety of Foods
- Nutrients: Ensure adequate intake of fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals (e.g., calcium, iron, zinc).
- Learning: Babies learn by watching their family eat, encouraging them to try different foods.
Texture for Development Stage
- Choking Prevention: Use smooth nut spreads and appropriate textures for your baby’s development stage.
- Examples: Smooth, lumpy, finger foods, and cut-up foods as appropriate.
Note on Allergy Development
- Awareness: Some babies may still develop food allergies despite following this advice.
Questions and Answers:
from https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergy-prevention/ascia-how-to-introduce-solid-foods-to-babies
Q1: Why Should Egg and Peanut Be Introduced by 12 Months of Age?
- Recommendation: All babies should be given common allergenic foods by 12 months, including egg and peanut, in age-appropriate forms (e.g., well-cooked egg, smooth peanut butter/paste).
- Inclusion: This applies to babies with eczema, another food allergy, or a family history of allergies.
- Concerns: Parents may worry about giving egg and peanut due to their allergenic potential.
- Regular Introduction: It is best to offer well-cooked egg and smooth peanut butter/paste regularly (twice weekly) before 12 months of age.
- Evidence: Delayed introduction of these foods increases the chance of developing food allergies.
Q2: How Should Egg and Peanut Be Introduced?
- Small Amounts: Start with small amounts of well-cooked egg and smooth peanut butter/paste.
- Monitoring: Introduce these foods during meals soon after waking to monitor for allergic reactions.
- Mixing: Mix a small amount (¼ teaspoon) of hard-boiled egg or peanut butter/paste into baby’s usual food (e.g., vegetable puree).
- Gradual Increase: If no allergic reactions occur, gradually increase the amount (e.g., ½ teaspoon next time).
- Lip Test: Rub a small amount inside the baby’s lip as a starting point; if no reaction occurs, continue with small amounts.
- Avoid Skin Tests: Do not smear or rub food on the baby’s skin as this does not help identify allergies and may increase allergy risk.
Q3: What Should You Do if Your Baby Has an Allergic Reaction?
- Signs of Reaction: Look for swelling of lips, eyes, face, hives, welts, vomiting, or changes in behavior (e.g., becoming very unsettled) after giving a new food.
- Immediate Action: Stop feeding the food and seek medical advice if an allergic reaction occurs.
- Severe Reaction (Anaphylaxis): Call an ambulance if there are signs of severe reaction such as:
- Difficult/noisy breathing
- Baby becomes pale and floppy
- Tongue swelling
- Timing: Allergic reactions usually occur within minutes to two hours; other reactions may be delayed.
- Skin Irritation: Minor redness around the mouth is often due to skin irritation, not an allergic reaction.
Q4: What to do if baby already has food allergies?
- Medical Advice: Ensure accurate diagnosis and follow an ASCIA Action Plan.
- Dietitian Consultation: For cow’s milk, wheat, or multiple food allergies to maintain nutrition.
- Tolerance Testing: Continue giving baked forms of cow’s milk or egg if tolerated.
- Nutritional Replacement: Replace allergenic foods with nutritionally similar options.
Q5: What if other family members have food allergies?
- Introduce Allergens: Still introduce allergenic foods to your baby if possible.
- Safety Measures: Use high chairs, wash hands and face, use separate utensils, and consider timing when allergic family members are not home.
- Consultation: Discuss with a dietitian or allergy support organizations.
Q6: How to know if baby is ready for solid foods?
- Signs of Readiness: Good head/neck control, interest in food, reaching for food, opening mouth for a spoon.
- Timing: Start around six months, not before four months.
- Breastfeeding Benefits: Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 3-4 months reduces allergy and eczema risk.
Q7: How to introduce solid foods?
- Patience: Learning to eat takes time.
- Family Meals: Encourage by offering the same foods as the family.
- Texture Progression: Smooth foods from six months, lumpy/finger foods by eight to nine months, cut up foods by 12 months.
- Persistence: Reintroduce foods if initially rejected.
Q8: Order of introducing solid foods?
- Iron-Rich Foods: Include iron-rich foods around six months.
- One Allergen at a Time: Introduce one common allergenic food per meal.
- Regular Exposure: Continue giving non-reactive foods regularly.
Q9: Importance of a variety of foods?
- Nutrient Intake: Ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients.
- Regular Introduction: Regularly give introduced foods for a varied diet by 12 months.
- Food Groups: Cereal foods, dairy, meat/alternatives, vegetables, and fruits.
Q10: Preventing choking on hard pieces of food?
- Avoid Hard Pieces: Do not give raw apple, carrot, or whole nuts.
- Prepare Safely: Grate, cook, puree, or mash hard foods.
- Suitable Finger Foods: Use steamed vegetables, soft fruits, bread, and crackers.
- Supervision: Always supervise eating.
Q11: Drinks for your baby?
- Primary Drinks: Continue with breast milk or formula.
- Introduce Water: From eight months, offer water in a cup.
- Gradual Transition: Transition to solid foods without replacing milk feeds too quickly.