Paula Burch'sBaby Food CookbookIntroducing Foods to BabiesSome foods can make babies sick; some may increase the risk of serious food allergies later in life; and some may even increase the risk of Type I diabetes. Early introduction of solids (before four months of age, or preferably six) may increase the risk of allergies and eczema. It's worthwhile to carefully choose which foods to introduce to a baby, and when.I have found no scientific explanation for the frequently-made observation that some foods cause very serious allergies, while others do not. However, it seems to be obvious that, while allergies to wheat and diary products are common, they are almost never life-threatening, whereas allergies to nuts, peanuts, and seafood occasionally kill people. There is also another important issue--choking kills many children every year. Therefore, I place foods to avoid into three categories of avoidance.... Dangerously allergenic foodsThe most dangerously allergenic foods appear to be peanuts, other nuts, and shellfish (including shrimp). I've also heard of cases in which eggs or seeds (including strawberries and kiwi) cause dangerous allergies. I believe that all parents should do their best to avoid these foods in their infants' diets until at least the age of one year, and preferably a few months beyond then, whether or not anyone in the family has any allergies. It's just not worth the risk.Current wisdom is that peanuts should be avoided in the diet until the age of three, although I don't think I personally am willing to try beyond the age of two unless I see evidence that this makes a big difference. Choking HazardsHot dogs are dangerous unless sliced lengthwise, which takes no time to do anyway. I've read that grapes should be halved for toddlers and quartered for infants. Both of these plug the airway rather neatly.Latex balloons are not a food but are particular offenders for children of all ages; babies should never be allowed to touch them--they are decorations, not toys. Some say that popcorn is too dangerous for young children. Whole nuts and peanuts are particularly bad as choking hazards. Not infrequently, a case diagnosed as chronic asthma is actually a peanut that has been aspirated iunto the lungs. Foods that are allergenic, but less frequently life-threateningThose with allergies in the family, food or otherwise, even hay fever, are supposed to be at risk of food allergies in their children. Those who are concerned about allergy prevention try to avoid dairy products and wheat until a child is a year old. Some avoid corn, because it's a common allergen and quite a pain to live with. (Even Bandaids and postage stamps are based on corn, as are most processed foods with any sweetening.) Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and fish are generally recommended against for babies under a year.Formerly, peas were reported to be allergenic, but as far as I can find out this has turned out not to be the case. SummaryWe avoided wheat, milk, yogurt, cheese, formula, soy, corn, all seafood, eggs, citrus, tomatoes, strawberries, kiwi, all nuts, and peanuts, until our son was a year old. We are continuing to avoid strawberries, nuts, peanuts, shellfish, and eggs for a few more months, and peanuts at least until he is two.What *do* you feed a baby, then?Starches. Grains that are generally considered low in allergenicity include rice, buckwheat (botanically unrelated to wheat), and millet. White potatoes are not very allergenic.Vegetables. Some consider legumes to be more allergenic than other vegetables, and cabbage-family vegetables give some babies gas. That leaves carrots, sweet potatoes, and squash as favorite baby food choices. We found peas and green beans to go over well, and our peditrician told us they are not allergenic. Fruits. Good: Bananas, peaches, apples (may give some babies gas), pears, nectarines, grapes, cherries. Bad: all berries, including kiwi. Who knows: raspberries and blueberries. (Sure, Gerber makes baby food with raspberries, but they have added all sorts of innappropriate things to their baby foods so many times, so that doesn't tell us whether it's wise.) A health food store is a great resource. They cater to those with allergies. You can buy frozen waffles that contain no wheat, dairy, or eggs; these make great fnger food for an older baby. We started mushed foods at six months, relying on breastfeeding exclusively until then. In the US, it's typical to begin with instant Rice cereal, although you can make some good mushed rice yourself if you prefer a tastier product that doesn't have to be mixed with formula or mother's milk to increase its palatability. Some claim that introducing vegetables before fruit prevents the devlopment of a sweet tooth; this is laughable to anyone who's ever tasted formula or human milk, as both are quite sweet. Instead of using rice fortified with inorganic iron, we used whole grain rice, and introduced homemade mushed meat as an iron source at 8 months. Both approaches work.
Copyright 1997 Paula E. Burch
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