Prevention
Food allergies
often occur in people who have a family history of asthma,
atopic dermatitis, or allergies to pollen, mold, or
other substances. These people are said to be
atopic, meaning they have an inherited tendency to
have allergic conditions. Allergies cannot be prevented in these people.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all babies be
breast-fed for the first year of life or longer.6 For
babies with family members who have food allergies, breast-feeding only for at
least 4 months helps prevent allergies to milk.7 If
your baby is at high risk for allergies and you cannot breast-feed, try a
hydrolyzed milk formula. The milk protein in hydrolyzed formulas is changed to
try to prevent allergies.8
If you are a
woman with a food allergy who is planning on a pregnancy and breast-feeding,
talk to your doctor about what foods to avoid while pregnant or nursing.
For more information on breast-feeding, see the topic
Breast-Feeding. To learn more about how to introduce
solid foods to your baby, see the topic
Weaning.
Tobacco smoke contributes to
allergy sensitivity, so it is important to have a smoke-free
environment.
About 85% of children outgrow allergies to milk,
wheat, eggs, and soy between ages 3 and 5.4 But while
1 out of 5 kids outgrow an allergy to peanuts, they rarely outgrow an allergy
to tree nuts (like walnuts or almonds) or seafood.2