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Baby Food & Allergies - All about Baby Food Allergies, How to Prevent & Identify Food Allergies
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Allergies & Baby Food 
4 Day Wait Rule Forbidden Baby Food Baby Egg Allergy Baby Wheat Allergy Baby Soy Allergies
When Starting Baby on Solid Foods, It's Important to Know What Food Allergies are and how Food Allergies Differ From Food Intolerances
The "4 Day Wait Rule" and Allergies:
It is very important to follow the "four day wait" rule when introducing your baby to new solid foods. When you introduce a new food over the course of several days, you are better able to determine exactly how your baby is reacting to that food. This is most important if you and/or your family members have a history of food allergies.
Following the four day wait rule and introducing new foods one at a time will also enable you to easily begin an "elimination diet". If you suspect your infant has had an adverse reaction to a new food, you will have just a few foods to look to as the culprit. While we think the "4 day wait rule" is important, many parents don't wait between introducing foods; it is up to you to decide if you want to follow the "wait" rule.
When to introduce new foods?
Introduce new foods during the morning or early afternoon. This will enable you to deal with any adverse reactions when your pediatrician is in office. Should an adverse reaction occur during the morning/early afternoon, it will cause the least amount of disruption in baby's fragile routine.
Does my Baby have a Food Allergy or a Food Intolerance? Why is a Food Allergy Different from a Food Intolerance or a Food Reaction?
The process of any allergic reaction occurs when the body mistakes something like a food or pollen as a harmful and dangerous invader. The body reacts by releasing antibodies called immunoglobulin E(IgE). The IgE in turn prompts the body to release chemicals known as histamines.
When the histamines are released, the body reacts by producing symptoms such as runny nose, itchy eyes, a skin rash and in severe cases, anaphylaxis. In a food allergy, the body's immune system is involved.
Top 8 Allergenic Foods that account for
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ORAL ALLERGY SYNDROME
OAS occurs when a person sensitive/allergic to pollen develops a reaction to fruits/veggies that have a similar type of pollen.
Itching & swelling of the lips, the mouth and/or throat are typical symptoms. These symptoms normally appear within minutes of eating the offending food and may be worse during the spring and fall pollen seasons. Rarely is an OAS life threatening.
Birch Pollen Allergies
Birch pollen allergies are associated with apple, carrot, cherry, pear, peach, plum, fennel, walnut, potato, spinach, buckwheat, peanut, honey, celery, and kiwifruit.
Cedar Allergies
Japanese cedar allergies are associated with melon, apple, peach, and kiwifruit.
Mugwort Allergies
Mugwort allergies are associated with celery, carrot, spices, melon, watermelon, apple, hazelnut, and chestnut.
Grass Pollen
Grass pollen allergies are associated with melon, tomato, watermelon, orange, rice and cherry.
Ragweed Pollen
Ragweed allergies are associated with melon, chamomile, honey, banana, and sunflower seeds.
What is a Food Reaction or Intolerance?
A food reaction or intolerance does not involve the immune system and often, a food that caused a reaction is easily tolerated at another time. A good example of this is citrus fruits.
Citrus fruits may cause a reaction or an intolerance in infants due to the high acidity of the fruit. The infant does not react with an immune response rather the infant reacts with either a gastrointestinal response or a dermatological response. Often times infants who are fed oranges prior to the age of 1 year old will break out in rashes around the mouth or bottom and possibly have tummy cramps.
Another example of a food intolerance is a lactose intolerance. People who are lactose intolerant lack a specific enzyme that helps to digest the sugar (lactose) in dairy products. Infants are often able to digest the lactose in dairy products like yogurt and cheese as the culturing of these products has broken down the lactose.
In contrast with primary lactose intolerance, cow’s milk protein allergy affects young infants and usually resolves during the first year. Learn About Updated Lactose Intolerance Statements from the AAP.
How to Spot a Potential Allergic Reaction to Food
Here are several things you might note that may indicate baby has a potential allergic reaction or intolerance to a food.
Sudden loose, diarrhea stools and/or vomiting
Sudden rashes on the skin and bottom
Runny Nose
Hives
Irritability and/or gassiness after a new food/meal
Breathing or other respiratory troubles after a new food/meal
Swelling of the Face, Lips and/or Tongue
Closure or tightening of the throat
Remember, an intolerance to a food is not the same as an allergy to a food and its symptoms typically involve trouble within the intestines.
Foods that may cause allergic reactions |
Foods least likely to cause allergic reactions |
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Why is Honey on Your "Least Allergenic" List and the List of Forbidden Foods?
On 13 January 2007 Charlene wrote to us questioning the foods listed on our Allergy page. "I am wondering why you have honey on the list of least allergic foods? Honey can KILL babies"
We realize that many parents may skip over the paragraphs and head straight to the lists. So honey is included on the list because it is NOT an allergenic food and many parents come looking for honey on our Allergy page.
Please note that some of the foods that appear on the list of "Least Allergenic" should not be introduced until a certain age. While these foods may not be allergy causing, there may be other issues that make that food item inappropriate to give to an infant prior to a specific age. An example of this is honey; honey is not a known allergen however it may contain spores that are botulism inducing. Honey should not be given to an infant prior to one year of age. To learn more about honey, visit our Honey and Botulism Tips section.
PLEASE Note the Following When Reading the Above List:
On our Allergy page we list foods by their common “highest” and “lowest” allergen risk. We also have a nice table at the bottom of the page that was developed by Janice M. Joneja, Ph.D., RD.
Elizabeth had written to ask us why the lists on the Allergy page were not consistent.
All lists vary by the numbers of food items as well as the scale of the allergy risk. The chart that we have above is a list of typical food allergens, broken down by the generic “high” and “low”. These food allergens are not broken down with any specificity regarding high-higher-highest allergens for example.
You will see that on the “high” list, peas share the space with peanuts yet peas do not pose as great a concern as peanuts. This list is more of a “generic” list in that foods are in the same categories yet, they are not distinguished by allergenic levels.
Dr. Joneja compiled her more in depth and specific scale from research and experience in food allergies. The foods on the scale are listed from the highest to the lowest allergenic and are broken down into specific categories of allergenicity.
The nice table that is at the bottom of our allergy page was developed by Janice M. Joneja, Ph.D., RD. In speaking to the different levels of allergenicity in foods, she says, “Nevertheless, we can make some generalizations about the degree of allergic potential (usually referred to as the allergenicity) of foods. I have developed an allergen scale (often referred to as the Joneja Food Allergen Scale), that has proved to be useful as a sort of comparative measure of the allergenicity of foods, based on the frequency of reactions in people eating a typical Western Diet.” You may visit her site here http://www.allergynutrition.com to learn more about her and her publications.
Always keep in mind that your doctor or consulting allergist should be able to tell you the appropriateness of foods for your baby.
Wheat & Gluten
Wheat, Oats (gluten through cross-contamination mostly) and Barley all contain Gluten. Gluten in wheat is essentially the "allergen" culprit however a gluten intolerance is NOT the same as a wheat allergy. It is best to wait to introduce wheat until you are certain that your infant has no reactions to rice, oats or barley.
As Gluten is found in Rye, Oat, and Barley amongst other grains, if your infant has not had any reactions to the other grains you should be ok to introduce wheat between 8-10 months old; depending on your baby's allergy history. Always consult your pediatrician when introducing foods that may be an allergy risk..
Read more at The Confusion Over Wheat
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SOY FREE DIET |
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WHEAT/GLUTEN FREE DIET |
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MILK FREE DIET |
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TREE NUT FREE DIET |
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PEANUT FREE DIET |
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The Joneja Food Allergen Scale
This table is based on the typical North American diet and compiled from a wide variety of sources. Foods are listed from the highest to the lowest allergenicity. People vary in their reactivity to foods and show a different pattern of reactivity depending on their individual characteristics. Persons following ethnic diets tend to show a different order of allergenicity. Allergenicity depends on a variety of factors including frequency of exposure to the food. Visit Dr. Jonja's site to learn more.
| GRAINS & FLOURS |
VEGGIES |
FRUITS |
NUTS & SEEDS |
MEATS ETC. |
DAIRY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat Triticale Semolina Bulgur Spelt Kamut |
Tomato
Spinach Celery (raw) |
Strawberry Raspberry Orange Fig Mango Watermelon |
Peanut
Nuts: |
Egg white
Egg yolk |
Ice cream
Cow's milk:
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| Corn |
Carrot (raw)
Green pea Cabbage (heart) |
Apple (raw) Apricot (raw) Peach (raw) Date Cantaloupe |
Walnut Pecan Brazil nut Almond Sesame seed |
Shellfish:
Molluscs: |
Cheese fermented: Cheddar Camembert Blue Swiss Edam Mozzarella Goat cheese |
| Oats |
Pineapple Raisin Apple (cooked) |
Cocoa bean Chocolate Coconut Flax seed |
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| Rye Barley |
Cauliflower Brussels sprouts Green bean |
Kiwi Cherry Plum/prune Apricot (cooked) |
Cashew Pistachio Macadamia |
Fin fish Cod Sole Other white fish |
Cottage cheese Cream cheese |
| Brown rice White rice Wild rice |
Avocado Cabbage (outer leaves) |
Loganberry Boysenberry |
Legumes: Soy Dried peas Lentils Dried beans Navy Pinto Garbanzo Carob Sunflower seed |
Cream Sour cream |
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| Quinoa |
Onion Green onion Garlic |
Plantain Banana Grape |
Processed meats Pepperoni Salami Bologna Wieners Ham |
Canned milk (evaporated) |
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| Buckwheat (kasha) |
Celery (cooked) Green/red peppers |
Grapefruit Lemon Lime |
Goat milk Sheep milk |
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| Amaranth |
Potato Cucumber Lettuce |
Currants (red/ black) |
Pumpkin seed |
Pork |
Processed cheese |
| Tapioca Cassava |
Asparagus Broccoli Beets |
Peach (cooked/ canned) |
Bean sprouts |
Chicken Beef Veal |
Soft cheese (Philadelphia) |
| Sago Arrowroot Millet |
Squashes (all types) |
Cranberry Blackberry Blueberry |
Poppy seed |
Wild meats Deer Elk Moose Bear Buffalo |
Yogurt Buttermilk |
| Carrot (cooked) Parsnip |
Pear |
Butter |
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| Turnip
Sweet potato |
Rhubarb |
Turkey
Lamb |
Clarified butter |
Allergies and Baby Food - Learn about baby food allergies and how to identify foods that may cause allergies
Always consult with your pediatrician regarding any foods that may be allergenic.
Solid Foods for Baby
Useful articles and charts to help you with the fun and folly of introducing baby to solid foods.
Many commercial baby foods as well as foods targeted to babies and toddlers contain allergenic ingredients.
If your baby has a food allergy or your family has a serious history of food allergies - read the labels when purchasing commercial baby food.
A few examples:
- Cheerios (wheat, soy protein)
- Instant Infant Cereals (soy)
- Stage "2", "3" and Toddler Meals (wheat, soy, casein (milk protein), albumin (egg)
- Gerber "Puffs" (wheat, soy)
MORE HOMEMADE BABY FOOD RECIPES & RECIPE TOPICS
View these pages for more tips & topics on baby feeding & cooking baby foods.
- Freezing Homemade Baby Foods
- Vitamins & Minerals in Baby's Foods
- Baby Food Myths - Archived
- Baby Food Recipes Downloads
- Freebies for Baby
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Many allergenic foods may be listed under another name in packaged foods. The most common are: |
wheat flour: durum semolina, farina Cocoa mixes, creamed foods, gravies, and some sauces contain milk. |
Visit our Strawberry Baby Food page to learn more about strawberries & allergies
Read About Egg Allergies
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