Delaying the introduction of potentially allergenic foods until after a baby’s first year may increase the likelihood of a food allergy later on, according to new findings from the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study.
The research, published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, found that infants who avoided cow’s milk products, egg and peanut during the first year of life were more likely to be sensitized to these foods at age one.
“Food sensitization early in life is associated with an increased risk of wheeze, asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis in later childhood,” said Dr. Malcolm Sears, co-director of the CHILD Study and a professor of medicine at McMaster University.