Weaning

Weaning advice - only for families that have already been seen and tested in the clinic by Dr Du Toit

Most pediatric guidelines suggest first introducing single-ingredient foods between 4 and 6 months of age, one food at a time; there is no need for this to be over three days as unlikely allergic reactions will be apparent even after the first exposure. Based on Our LEAP and EAT Studies, there is a particular emphasis on peanuts and, to a lesser degree, cooked egg introduction.

Trust your ‘gut instinct’, and when baby appears to be hungry despite adequate milk intake (e.g. waking at night, hunger cries more frequently, following and grasping at foods, tongue thrust reflex lost...) then commence weaning. 

Typical weaning foods in the Western diet include rice or oat cereals, yellow/orange vegetables such as sweet potato, squash, and carrots, fruits, e.g. apples, pears, and bananas, green vegetables, and additional foods such as meat and fish. Parents are reminded that it is typical for acidic fruits, e.g. berries, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and vegetables to cause, upon contact with the skin, localized, peri-oral reactions that may include an erythematous rash or urticaria due to irritation from the acid in these foods and high levels of histamine-releasing compounds within the foods, respectively. These do not usually result in systemic reactions; therefore, delayed introduction of such foods is not recommended. Such foods will be best tolerated when cooked and if a thick emollient is applied to any dry skin or eczema on the checks. 

Even highly allergenic foods may be introduced as weaning foods (if the tests were negative to that food). Allergenic foods are typically rich in protein and healthy foods, e.g. peanut, egg, milk, cashew, sesame …

The Food Standards Agency has details on other foods to be avoided in the first year for reasons other than allergy concerns, e.g. whole cow’s milk (not appropriate in make-up for children's needs, dairy products are fine (if NOT milk allergic), honey (risk of Botulism), certain fish species, under-cooked egg (risk of Salmonella), whole nuts (risk of choking).

Herewith a link to the helpful Baby’s First Website as well as the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology recommendations regarding early weaning