Perhaps one of the most common questions parents ask their doctor is “Food allergies run in my family, what I can do to prevent my child from getting them?”   While more time is spent teaching people how to deal with food allergies once they have been diagnosed, some research has also been done to see if prevention is possible.

Many doctors agree that the one thing that a new mother can do to lessen the chance that a child will inherit a particular food allergy that is hereditary is to breast feed.  In fact the majority of opinion is that a newborn baby should be breast fed exclusively until they reach the age of six months, which means absolutely no formula of any kind or any solid foods.  After they reach the age of six months you can start to add in supplements slowly, while continuing to breast feed until they are one year old.

While breast feeding in this pattern is no guarantee that your child will grow up allergy free, it has been found to reduce the chances significantly according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

During breastfeeding you should also take into consideration your own diet as this affects what is in your breast milk.  Avoid eating any of the foods that your family has a history of being allegoric to such as nuts, milk and dairy products, fish and eggs.

If you must supplement your breast milk or supply a sitter with an alternative, then make sure that you choose one of the hypo-allergenic formulas that are available.  Many of today’s formulas are made with either a milk base or soy base with other nutrients added; so you should look for one that is made from bases such as rice.

You should not start feeding your child milk and dairy products until they are at least one year old and wait until they are two years old before introducing them to eggs. The rule of thumb on nuts and fish is to wait until they are at least three.

When grocery shopping it pays to take the time to read the labels of the foods you buy, many of them contain hidden ingredients that you would never think of.  For example many margarines contain milk or milk products and not all cookies and cakes are made with wheat flours some are made with peanut flours.

It may not be altogether possible to prevent your child from suffering with food allergies completely, but by following a few simple guidelines it is possible to significantly reduce the possibilities.  Most children outgrow their food allergies by the time they reach five, so by feeding them carefully for the first five years you can avoid a lot of stress and keep your little ones healthy.