The Norwegian Directorate of Health recommends that babies are only fed breast milk until they are six months old. Only after six months do they think that the child should start tasting other foods. But now researchers believe that babies should be able to taste peanut butter before that time. Edvin (1) got to taste peanut butter for the first time when he was four months old. Photo: Malin Nygård Solberg / news – He is very fond of food, and ate a lot. He was never satisfied. So says Edvin’s mother, Emilie Bendiksen, who decided early on to let her child taste peanuts and eggs. She had read an article that said it might be good to find out if children have allergies early in life. – Then you don’t have to suddenly find out when you’re sitting in a place where you can’t get to hospital. In the same article, I believe it was stated that they could have less chance of getting an allergy if they were exposed to it early, says Bendiksen. – We have no pronounced food allergies in the family, but we thought it would be good to clarify anyway. And if you can do something to prevent allergies, then it’s good to do it. Photo: Malin Nygård Solberg / news May have far fewer allergy sufferers About 1.5 per cent of Norwegian children are allergic to peanuts. According to the Asthma and Allergy Association, food allergies are probably one of the most common. In a study from the UK, researchers have tried to find out whether children who eat peanut butter early in life have a lower chance of developing allergies. Their conclusion is clear; If peanuts are introduced into children’s diets early enough, the study shows that the number of people with allergies can be reduced by 77 per cent. The researchers write that babies with eczema should be able to taste peanuts earlier than babies without eczema. The study shows that babies with eczema have a greater chance of developing allergies. The allergy is most often formed when the child is between six and twelve months old. Therefore, they believe that babies in the risk group should be able to taste peanuts when they are four months old. This is contrary to the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s recommendation that babies should only be fed breast milk until they are six months old. The researchers conclude that babies without eczema can wait to get peanuts until they are six months old. The British study is not the first of its kind. Last summer, a Norwegian research team completed a similar study, where they also concluded that early introduction could contribute to a reduced chance of allergies. But these studies alone are not enough to make the Norwegian authorities change their advice. Not enough grounds to change the recommendations – What the researchers have found here is important because it can help prevent asthma and allergies. That’s what Ellen Margrethe Carlsen, director of the Norwegian Directorate of Health for Children and Adolescent Health, says. She is positive that allergy research is being conducted. – At the same time, it is the case that individual studies cannot change our recommendations. She says the national recommendations can be updated when the overall knowledge base dictates it. Photo: FINN OLUF NYQUIST The recommendations given by the Norwegian Directorate of Health are based on advice from the World Health Organization (WHO), British and American guidelines. – The World Health Organization is reviewing the knowledge base on its guidelines for the introduction of solid food, says Carlsen. – Then they will also look at the research shown here, and it will be included in the knowledge base. When it is available from the World Health Organisation, Norway will also look at whether there is a need to reconsider our recommendations. As of now, these are the national recommendations for breast milk, breast milk substitutes and the introduction of food from the Directorate of Health’s website: The World Health Organization will finish the review by the summer, but until then there will hardly be any change in the Directorate of Health’s recommendations. – What is our recommendation today is full breastfeeding until about 6 months, as long as the child grows and is well, and that mother and child are comfortable with it. From around 6 months you can introduce food, including allergenic foods such as peanuts. PREVENT ALLERGY WITH PEANUT BUTTER: Researchers from the UK believe that babies should be given a taste of peanut butter to prevent allergies. Photo: Malin Nygård Solberg / news
ttn-69
Peanut butter for babies reduces the chance of allergies – news Nordland
