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Mothers who fear that their child has food allergies tend to breastfeed their newborns only longer – but this could increase their risk of reactions, a new study finds.
The researchers interviewed 2,586 lactating mothers and monitored the health of their babies.
The study found that those who introduced "trigger" foods, such as peanuts and eggs, at around seven months of age, had a lower risk of allergies.
Mothers who feared a reaction tended to wait longer and breastfeed exclusively up to about 10 months of age.
Coincidentally, these were the children most likely to develop intolerances and allergies to certain foods.
Researchers can not say for sure if the delay is to blame or if the mothers' instinct was just right.
However, the results are consistent with the growing body of research that early exposure to trigger foods may be essential for building resilience.
A study by the FDA and the CDC found it crucial to introduce trigger foods early.
Lead author of the study, Dr. Karen Robbins, allergist to the San Francisco National Child Health System, said: "Breastfeeding a newborn during the first months of his life helps his developing immune system to become more robust, can affect the microbiome and could influence or prevent development of allergy later in life.
"However, the perception that mothers have adverse reactions of their newborns to the diet seems to affect the duration of breastfeeding".
She said she worried that prolonged breastfeeding could have an impact on the mothers' introduction of solid foods for their babies.
Dr. Robbins said, "The gradual transition to solid foods gives infants the opportunity to sample a range of foods, snacking nibbles, including food allergens such as peanut and eggs.
"We have learned from previously published research that the early introduction of a food allergen such as peanut into the diet of high-risk babies boosts their immune systems appropriately and effectively." significantly reduces the frequency with which these children develop peanut allergies.
"The relationship between breastfeeding and the development of allergies is complex, so it is important to understand the practices of mothers.
"We also do not know how often these early reactions lead to a true food allergy, compared to transient food intolerance."
Her research team drew their conclusions by analyzing data from Study II on infant feeding practices from 2005 to 2007.
The study was led by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
He followed the diet and dietary practices of about 2,000 women in late pregnancy and followed their baby's diet throughout his first year of life.
About 2,586 lactating mothers participating in the study responded to the survey when their baby was 4, 9, and 12 months old.
They were asked if there were any problems caused by foods, such as an allergic reaction, sensitivity or intolerance.
The majority of these infants (84.6%) had no known allergic reaction to foods they ate alone or to foods to which they had been exposed via breast milk.
Mothers reported that almost 11% of infants had reacted to something they ate; 2.4% responded to food products to which they were exposed via breast milk; and 2.4% responded to both foods that they consumed directly or to which they were exposed through breastfeeding.
They also found that infants suspected of food allergies after exposure to foods eaten by their mothers were breastfed an average of 45.8 weeks; infants with food intolerance after being exposed to foods eaten by their mothers and foods they ate themselves were breastfed for an average of 40.2 weeks; and infants not affected by food reactions, who were breastfed for an average of 32 weeks.
Food allergies are a growing public health problem, affecting between four and six percent of American children, according to the CDC.
But little is known about the links between food allergies perceived by mothers, the hypersensitivity of babies to food and how long they are breastfed.
The results of the study were presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
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