Babies ‘should be given solid food from four months of age’ according to new guidelines

BABIES should be given solid food from four months of age to give them the best chance of avoiding food allergies, new guidelines propose.

Ada Emmerson, seven months old, enjoys her mashed pumpkin. Picture: David Caird.

BABIES should be given solid food from four months of age to give them the best chance of avoiding food allergies, new guidelines propose.

And while experts say breastfeeding should continue while solid foods are introduced, the national alliance of paediatric food allergy clinicians and researchers say there is no evidence that expensive “hypo-allergenic” formulas prevent allergies from developing.

A forum of experts and advocates met in Melbourne last week to discuss their latest updates aimed at giving parents more consistent and up-to-date advice on when and how to introduce allergenic solid foods — cow’s milk, egg, peanut and tree nuts — to infants to best prevent food allergies.

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute paediatric gastroenterologist and allergist Professor Katie Allen told The Centre for Food and Allergy Research summit that parents were already introducing solids between four and six months of age, and the updated guidelines ensured experts were giving consistent advice.

Babies should be given solid food from four months of age according to the new guidelines. Picture: David Caird.

“There still continues to be confusion, but what is emerging is a considered evidence base that is informing the experts,” Prof Allen said.

“We used to tell people to avoid peanut, eggs and cow’s milk, and now we’re saying introduction is safe and maybe even be protective.

“We used to say breastfeeding will protect but unfortunately there’s no evidence it does.”

Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia president Maria Said said with some parents still being advised by doctors to undertake the first introduction of allergenic foods in hospital carparks around the country, more specific and practical guidelines were needed for high-risk children.

“Early introduction doesn’t mean your child will never have a reaction, but the evidence says four months onwards this is what we need to be doing,” Ms Said said.

“I think people at high risk, those who have eczema or food allergies in the family, need to be given different advice by a doctor with expertise.

“Perhaps don’t introduce this food on your own if your child is at moderate risk, make sure your partner is at home, don’t do it on a long weekend. They need practical advice.”

Dr Rosemary Stanton, who was part of the NHMRC nutrition group who compiled the latest feeding guidelines, said it was concerning that some community groups were still peddling the “dangerous” advice that high-risk allergy foods should be avoided until the baby was 12-24 months old.

Originally published as Babies ‘should be given solid food from four months of age’ according to new guidelines