Research into allergies/exclusive BF till 4 months?

[Pinchypants]

I'm BFing DS, my second, who is nearly seven weeks old. I have a couple of serious food allergies and with DD I was totally paranoid about formula and exclusively BF her until 7 and a half months. Because of work commitments this time I'm planning on BFing until DS is weaned/six months-ish, but I just wanted to know if anyone can point me in the direction of the research that states any formula at all before 4 months increases the risk of allergies? Would the occasional bottle of formula at the dreamfeed really make a difference to the risk? Would love to know because my obsession with 'only BF' last time even through some very trying cirumstances was undoubtedly one of the factors behind my PND. Thanks!

Hello. Not sure I can answer your question but for what its worth, I exclusively breastfed my son until I started weaning, he's never had any formula and he's just been diagnosed as allergic to milk. My daughter was breastfed but was given formula in hospital and I started introducing formula from 3 months. She has no allergies.

I'm very allergic, my DD has an egg allergy
which I know she was born with as had hives before she was weaned on solids whenever I had eggs. I was told by the consultant that it was best to exclusively BF until 17 weeks and after that the allergic protection of BFing is minimal, she had just been to a conference about it with the latest research. In your position I wouldn't risk it I'm sorry. Dreamfeeding formula may not help him sleep and you would worry wouldn't you. 7 weeks is tough.

I breastfed my DS exclusively to 6 months when we started weaning and I'm still bfing him at 20 months.

My DS has multiple food allergies.

My husband still beats himself up over the fact that despite me nagging that any painting had to be finished months before my DS was born because it might increase the risk of allergies, he was still painting for months after DS was born.

Did it have anyhting to do with DS' allergies? Who knows, but you will always wonder and feel guilty about it if your LO does turn out to have allergies.

I do not know about age Im sorry and would tend to think that by 4 months the risk would be much lower than at birth for example. This is a referenced article talking about the idea of the pourous gut and intestinal tract and how formula can change that.

Saying that it is all about risk and benefit and balancing the two - you have done so well to get this far without a bottle - very very few mums do as an ovrall percentage.

www.naba-breastfeeding.org/images/Just%20one.pdf

Sorry am not sure if I have done the link right - may have to copy and paste
xxx