Early weaning and allergies- real life experiences.

[inspireme]

My sil is currently weaning her 15 wk LO, I also have a 15 wk LO but will be waiting to the 26 wk Mark as I have digestive problems and would try every thing in my power to ensure my LO doesn't.

Our other sil has 3 kids which were all weaned around 16 wks and all 3 have asthma,numerous inhalers, hay fever and coughs/colds every month or so regardless of the weather. I find it really hard to see why my sil (with the 15 wk old) is contuning to wean at such an early age when the evidence against it is plain to see, though I know its none of my business so will keep my mouth shut obviously.

Just wondering is it just a coincidence my nieces and nephew have these ailments or i wonder is it specifically from early weaning. Have any of u encountered Children (either your own or others) with allergies/ailments that you think were caused by early weaning?

I'm interested to see does real life experiences actually back up the research.

[Flowerpot77]

Have a neice who nearly died at the age of 11 months of a twisted gut - apparently bought about by early weaning and a gluten allergy. I wouldnt risk it personally - they have the rest og their lives to eat -I just dont get what the big rush is to get kids to eat?

On the other side of the coin; is there any benefit to early weaning? genuinely curious.....

[inspireme]

How awful flowerpot- have a gluten allergy myself and can't I
Imagine the damage it would do to a LO if left undiagnosed for a long time.

I'm also interested in seeing if there are any benefits too, just out of curiousity but dont see how u could link any benefits to early weaning.

[trixymalixy]

Well I did everything "right". Breastfed both of mine exclusively to 6 months and beyond and weaned at 6 months. They both have allergies, excema and asthma.

I think the most important element in determining these things is genetic. If both parents are atopic then there is something like a 70% change of allergies, excema or asthma.

There are many factors at work and they are not fully understood. To say your SIL plainly caused the asthma by weaning early is just wrong, it's just not that simple.

There are now trials that show that weaning early is better to avoid allergies etc....

[TheGhostOfMrsWembley]

Google EAT - study being done on early weaning and allergies. Look at the info and their reasons for doing the study. Still on the fence myself but my DS has just joined the control group.

[inspireme]

Mrswembley I had a look at that study and don't think I could involve my LO in it, but I can see how introducing those food early may also ensure the child doesn't develop an allergy.

Trixy, yes i understand my nieces and nephew could have had these problems either way, but the fact that they do and they were weaned early and weren't breast fed, it makes it hard not to link the two. Both parents are really healthy very rarely sick although the mum does have hayfever. But its one of them things we'll never know, Im probably very cautious and follow guidelines whereas my sil's are very blasé about those types of things and think im just silly, but they don't have digestive problems or food intolerances like me so that's probably the difference.

[annieee]

inspireme i wouldn't really class 16 weeks as 'super early' weaning, many people wean well before then and still have no obvious ill side effects. If anything the breastfeeding issue is more relevant, I think there is evidence that breastfeeding helps reduce the risk of allergies developing, whereas the weaning advice is still a bit clouded. maybe if she had weaned at 6 weeks say, i could understand the link with allergies.
I'm of the opinion that allergies are pre determined, except for celiac which it has been proven can be aggravated by super early weaning.

[RitaMorgan]

I think the risk with early weaning is more down to increased infections and poor nutrition (because they fill up on baby rice and don't get enough milk) rather than allergies - other than gluten/coeliacs.

I really don't understand why people want to take the risk with their babies' health, seems really selfish to me. We've known since 1994 at least that weaning before 17 weeks is a bad idea, but people still do it.