New AAP policy on breastfeeding & allergies

I was happy to see these relaxed guidelines on introducing certain foods - particularly because I wasn't aware of all of them! And, it's good to see affirmation that breastfeeding helps protect against allergies. See Breastfeeding May Lower Allergy Risk by Salynn Boyles, WebMD Medical News.

In a newly published policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) abandons a previous call for the gradual introduction of foods typically associated with allergies in high-risk children. The earlier guidelines recommended delaying the introduction of cow's milk until after a child's first birthday, eggs until age 2, and tree nuts, peanuts, and fish until age 3.

"We just do not have the studies to back this up," study researcher author Frank R. Greer, MD, tells WebMD. If a child is going to be allergic to peanuts or eggs, it doesn't seem to matter [after 4 to 6 months] when you introduce these foods.

There is also no convincing evidence to justify telling moms to avoid these foods during pregnancy and while they are nursing, the new report shows.

Published in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics, the report revisits and revises recommendations made seven years ago by the AAP. Among the major findings: Exclusive breastfeeding for at least four months, compared with feeding regular formula made from cow's milk, appears to help protect high-risk children against milk allergy and eczema in the first two years of life, the report states.