bf and weaning at 6m effect on allergies

[naty1]

I think my ebf child who was weaned (solids) at 6m has allergies anyway (soya). And bf till 14m
I have asthma hay fever myself and had Eczema.
So just wondering whether the advice to bf and wean at 6m made a difference to anyone
Or they weren't higher risk so advice wasn't followed

Both my boys were ebf, and breastfed well into toddlerhood. One clearly had allergies by the time he was a few weeks old, and the other seems fine so far. The one with allergies was given formula in hospital when he was born.

There was a study (in Australia, I think) which appeared to show that breastfeeding did not protect against allergies - but those babies were mostly given formula in the maternity ward so that their mums could sleep, so that is hardly conclusive. Can't find the link right now, or link on my phone, but can dig out out if you're interested.

The nhs have recently removed "helps prevent allergies" from the list of benefits of breastfeeding on their website.

Early introduction of solids is another issue. .. and again, the evidence is inconclusive. I did read about a study which showed that introducing high risk foods such as peanuts early actually helped to prevent allergies developing (not that this is any help of your child is already reacting to traces in your milk!)

Both my boys had their first tastes of food at 5 and a half months when they grabbed food from my plate. Some babies are ready earlier than others, and the six month 'rule' is only a guideline. If they can sit up unaided, have the gag reflux developed and are helpingthemselves to any food they can reach, then they are ready.

I'd love to see some real evidence either way. My instinct is that breastfeeding is proven to be good for the immune system generally, so it must surely help, but maybe it's more complicated than that. ..

Both my boys were ebf, and breastfed well into toddlerhood. One clearly had allergies by the time he was a few weeks old, and the other seems fine so far. The one with allergies was given formula in hospital when he was born.

There was a study (in Australia, I think) which appeared to show that breastfeeding did not protect against allergies - but those babies were mostly given formula in the maternity ward so that their mums could sleep, so that is hardly conclusive. Can't find the link right now, or link on my phone, but can dig out out if you're interested.

The nhs have recently removed "helps prevent allergies" from the list of benefits of breastfeeding on their website.

Early introduction of solids is another issue. .. and again, the evidence is inconclusive. I did read about a study which showed that introducing high risk foods such as peanuts early actually helped to prevent allergies developing (not that this is any help of your child is already reacting to traces in your milk!)

Both my boys had their first tastes of food at 5 and a half months when they grabbed food from my plate. Some babies are ready earlier than others, and the six month 'rule' is only a guideline. If they can sit up unaided, have the gag reflux developed and are helpingthemselves to any food they can reach, then they are ready.

I'd love to see some real evidence either way. My instinct is that breastfeeding is proven to be good for the immune system generally, so it must surely help, but maybe it's more complicated than that. ..

Oops, don't know why that posted twice - sorry!

In my experience, bf made no difference. My first daughter was bf for about a month, then on formula and ended up allergic to cows milk. So I ebf second daughter to six months but she is now allergic to cows milk, soya and possibly also egg, peas and sesame.

Zoe Williams' book "bring it on, baby" (latterly renamed "what not to expect when you are expecting" - I read it twice thinking it was two different books, that's pregnancy hormones for you) has a very interesting part about breast feeding and the lack of conclusive evidence for its many supposed benefits. On the whole, I'm on the fence. (But to be honest I might just be saying that because I don't want to get hassle from the bf militants on mumsnet... I'm probably as unconvinced as Zoe Williams, just not as brave).

my kids have never had formula , kid with allergies showed signs days after birth.

Both my DC were ebf for 6 months then weaned. Both had demonstrated evidence of allergies by 12 weeks old.

I think the genetic element is also quite important.
My sister also ebf and weaned at 6m and her baby has no allergies yet.
Of course we will never know (until more research) if we had done x or y would they have more/ less allergies
I dont think the evidence for prevention of allergies is 100% conclusive

The genetic element is probably the most important factor?

Still, it would be nice to know if we could help prevent allergies by breastfeeding \ not breastfeeding \ introducing food early \ whatever.

Only trouble is, some mums might start feeling guilty for things they did or didn't do. I know it's a cliché, but we all do the best we can for our families based on the information we have at the time.

I do volunteer and some paid work for a baby feeding project which is very keen to promote breastfeeding, but also totally based on providing information rather than advice, and supporting mums to do whatever they really want to do (eg helping them to introduce formula as painlessly as possible, talking through their options if they want to return to work and so on).

Auntie Rosemary, I hope you're not lumping me in with the breastfeeding militants

There is some evidence that immune problems (like allergies) actually relate to our lack of intestinal parasites, which is a recent development in our evolution. Nothing to do with what we eat.

Greenbananas no! Tbh just skim read your post but liked your balance. The people I'm afraid of are the ones who swallow wholesale everything they have ever heard about the benefits of breastfeeding, and bite the heads off people who question anything about it. Such as a midwife at a bf workshop I went to who described having to bottle feed expressed milk to her baby because her nipples were so mangled and crying because she felt so ashamed and loved breast feeding so much. That was enough to alert me to a whole new collection of nutters.

Yes whereisshe i have seen that worms preventing asthma

Thank you Auntie Rosemary am feeling a bit touchy at the moment so bless you for reassuring me.

I feel a bit sorry for your midwife - if her nipples were mangled and bleeding then she clearly didn't get the right support with positioning and attachment. Some women do feel like total failures if they "can't" breastfeed their babies. But she had absolutely no business to be passing on her own problems at a bf workshop! That's really unprofessional. She should have dealt with those issues before trying to provide information to other mums!

Yes you are prob right bananas. I felt suspicious rather than sympathetic but you are probably just nicer than me. I had been all for breast feeding - seemed straight forward, cheaper, natures way etc. then she and another midwife started going on about how PASSIONATE they were about bf which really alerted me to the possibility of some sort of agenda going on.