The prevention of food allergies in infants and children is a difficult issue to address since the causes for these allergies is still somewhat of a mystery. However, research is starting to indicate that certain factors involved in our modern lifestyles maybe impacting on the health of our children. Pollution has often been blamed for allergies and whilst it certainly doesn't help our health, it may not be the major cause of allergies.
Latest research is focusing on four lifestyle issues that are prevalent today - but not fifty years ago when allergies where relatively rare. These four areas are cleanliness, dirt, baby food and the processing of foods. These may have an affect individually or collectively - this is where research has not been able to reach any sound conclusions. Individually, they do each impact on the lives of our infants and children. Looking at each one individually:
Cleanliness:
The Hygiene Hypothesis has been around for almost a decade now and although laughed at originally, it has now been shown to have a lot of merit. This theory relates to our fascination with cleanliness, particularly the use of harsh chemicals and antibacterial solutions to keep our homes and workplaces clean. Antibacterial solutions are the major problem as they do not differentiate between good and bad bacteria. Our children, particularly as infants, are not being exposed to beneficial bacteria that the gut needs to help in the digestion of food.
The theory is that these beneficial bacterias help to break down foods for digestion. They are also thought to break down some of the amines that cause allergic reactions to those foods. By using plain old soap and water to keep out homes clean allows these good bacterias to survive and be picked up into the gut.
Dirt
Dirt is a continuation of the Hygiene Hypothesis. We seem to have a determination to keep our children clean and part of this is to keep them inside away from plain old dirt. There are many children around the world now who never know the joy of making mud pies, playing in dirt or simply playing in the backyard. Dirt is known to contain many of the bacteria our gut needs to help with the digestion process. By stopping our kids from playing in the dirt, they are not being exposed to these bacteria.
Researches have traveled to native villages in Africa and New Guinea to study the lifestyle and health of these people. What they have in common with each other is the lack of any form of cleaning agents and a lifestyle that has their children playing in the dirt. It's not just dirt they play in either - they live alongside livestock such as dogs, pigs and cattle so the children are playing in mud that has been contaminated by animals. However, their allergy levels are almost zero. A Papua Guinea group does have a zero allergy problem - no known allergies at all.
Baby Food
The latest research is now revealing that medical warnings issued a decade ago could be totally wrong and that grandma really did know best. In the past, babies were introduced to foods then they decided - not when the calendar dictated it. These days baby's introduction to solids is done according to a schedule. Possible allergy related foods are left off the menu altogether.
What is now being revealed is that babies are ready for solids when they indicate they want to eat. It has also been revealed that the earlier you feed your child known allergy causing foods such as fruits, nuts or grains, the less risk there is of that child developing an allergy.
Processed Foods
Processed foods are another field that researchers are looking at. Our digestive system has to work harder when it comes to fresh foods and it is thought that the introduction of so many processed foods into our diet is leading to a lazy digestive system. By the time a child reaches two or three, their digestive systems have never had to work hard to digest foods. When we start to introduce foods that are known to cause allergies, the gut is too lazy to break the foods down so amines are entering the blood system causing allergic reactions.
These last two areas seem to indicate that babies should start eating when they are ready, not when it suits a particular time table, and that their diet should comprise as much in the way of fresh fruit and vegetables as possible - as raw as possible too.
So the bottom line is - if you want to prevent food allergies in children and infants, you need to start early. Don't sterilize the home, sure keep it clean, but not sterilized. Let your little ones play in the dirt as much as they want. Feed them solids when they are ready and make sure it is fresh and not processed foods. Put them altogether and you will have very happy little tykes.