Allergy and infant feeding guidelines in the context of resource-constrained settings
Date
2016Author
Levin, Michael
Goga, Ameena
Doherty, Tanya
Coovadia, Hoosen
Sanders, David
Green, Robin J.
Kling, Sharon
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Recent discussions about the need for revised infant feeding
guidelines in the context of allergy are founded in substantial
evidence-based research. Key studies (Table I)1-5 undertaken in
high-income country settings provide evidence that the introduction
of allergenic foods (eg, cow’s milk protein, egg, peanuts, fish,
sesame, and wheat) to infant diets before the age of 6 months
might significantly reduce the risk of food allergy at older ages.
Although such a strategy does not promote supplanting breastfeeding
with the introduction of a diverse set of foods early on,
it will shorten the duration of exclusive breast-feeding [EBF], replacing
it with ‘‘partial breast-feeding,’’ the combination of
breast-feeding with other fluids or solids, and most likely lead
to a reduction in overall duration of breast-feeding.