Allergens

[Suunnyd]

Apologies if this is a stupid question but its been puzzling me for a few weeks. We have started weaning dd and are introducing allergens. So far we have given cows milk, peanut butter and eggs. The health visitor said once we start on allergens we need to continue giving them regularly and ideally once a week. Does she mean one allergen per week or all of them? Im just thinking that the list of allergens is quite long and im going to struggle to give them all every week without going out of my way?

Never heard anything like this. Does your child have allergies? I just fed mine different food and got on with it. No one told me anything else.

@Allhailkingcharlie no, not aware of any allergies. We have been given a list of foods that are reasonably common to be allergic to and have been told to introduce as apparently feeding the allergens can help prevent allergies if you feed them regularly?

Are you in the UK @Suunnyd? I haven't heard of this one either although if you've introduced nuts, you can buy a multi nut butter and offer that on toast once a week.

I wasn't advised to do anything special when I started. I just started giving bananas and then avocado and then continued giving various things and expanded what I gave her.

@SiouxsieSiouxStiletto @Olika thanks for your replies. Yes, I am in the UK. I have been given an NHS leaflet by the HV although the info is also here - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/weaning-and-feeding/food-allergies-in-babies-and-young-children/ that website sounds more like what you are all saying in that just give things as normal. The HV specifically said once id given each to make sure i gave them continuously once a week. So i was thinking if im meant to be doing fish, seeds, eggs, soy, gluten etc how will i feed the veg too as dd is only eating small amounts and not on 3 meals a day. I think the hv has been over the top and il just continue offering a varied diet and include the allergens over time eg. We dont often eat seeds as a household and even fish is more on a special occasion rather than a staple for us. Thank you!

If you want to do this then I'd advise reading up on it yourself as the advice changes so often. It's still not known why some people have allergies and some don't, research is being done all of the time. One study will show one thing and another study will show another thing.

This isn't something that a standard Health Visitor is likely to keep up to date with, it's too complicated and specialist.

I think it's a strange endeavour if you don't want to go out of your way! You are absolutely going to have to go out of your way. Starting by reading research paper findings.

@TheNineNine thank you for this. Do you think there is merit in it? This is my first dc so i had no idea about introducing allergens until recently. Iv only began doing it as hv told me to. Im loosely following Joe Wicks Wean in 15 for recipes and this book also discussed allergens. Is there a website where i can find research papers, im not sure where to look?

I don't know if there is any merit in it. Like anything I think you have just got to do your best which is a bit of a cop out but I think it's important to do your own reading, don't rely on your HV.

www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/new-feeding-guidelines-for-children-aged-1-5-reinforce-importance-of-early-introduction-and-continued-consumption-of-allergenic-foods-to-prevent-allergies/