When should infants start solid food and what is a good idea to start with? A lot of discussion about food for infants recently means that many parents are unsure of when and how to introduce food in addition to breastfeeding. In 2024, there will be new guidelines for infant nutrition. They will largely be based on Nordic guidelines from 2023. Here it is “recommended to start with different solid foods from approx. 6 months, but not before 4 months.” These recommendations have not discussed new research showing that introducing food before six months of age can prevent the development of food allergies. Findings from the large Norwegian-Swedish PreventADALL study suggest that approx. 1,000 three-year-olds can avoid food allergies every year if they start with small amounts of peanut, milk, wheat and eggs from three to four months of age. The Norwegian Directorate of Health’s national council is the leader of the health service and is therefore of great importance to parents of young children. While researchers acquire and disseminate new knowledge, the Norwegian Directorate of Health will prepare national advice based on available knowledge in an overall perspective. It is then crucial that all new research is taken into account when new advice is drawn up. There is no reason why parents should not learn how to prevent allergies in their child. Early introduction of food prevents allergies From the first months of life, the child’s immune system must learn to tolerate normal things, such as food the child eats. As early as 3–4 months of age, the immune system of some people begins to develop allergy antibodies to foods, although few react to food at this time. In order to develop tolerance to a food, it is therefore important that it is introduced before the immune system begins to produce antibodies and develop allergic reactions. New international knowledge base English researchers showed in 2015 that children with a high risk of food allergy did not become allergic to peanuts if they were introduced to peanuts between 4 and 11 months, compared to those who avoided peanuts until they were five years old. They showed that peanut allergy could be prevented using normal food, and that it was not dangerous to give peanut products to infants. In 2022, the PreventADALL study showed that healthy infants who began to have peanut, milk, wheat and eggs in their diet between three and four months of age had a 60 percent reduced risk of food allergy in general, and to peanut in particular. In a review of 23 international research projects, it was concluded in 2023 that introduction of peanut and egg before six months of age prevents allergy to peanut and egg. The guidelines do not take into account the prevention of food allergies. In Norway, the current advice is; “Breast milk is the best food for the infant, and the child can safely have only breast milk for the first 6 months, with the addition of vitamin D, if the child and mother are comfortable with it.” There is no doubt or disagreement that breast milk is the best for the child as long as it is desirable and possible. Breastfeeding has many benefits for both the child and the mother, but has not been shown to prevent allergies. In the PreventADALL study, the same number of people breastfed from 3–12 months, regardless of whether they started with early introduction of food or not. There is therefore no reason to fear that introducing food before six months will affect breastfeeding. The national guidelines should be changed Research now shows that simple and safe measures prevent food allergies, which for many last a lifetime and which for some can be serious. And this can be done without affecting breastfeeding. That parents learn that feeding the baby before six months of age can prevent food allergies is so important that the Norwegian Directorate of Health must incorporate the new knowledge into the Norwegian guidelines for infant nutrition. This way we can easily and safely give many children a better life.
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Food allergy can be prevented – Speech
