Ep. 54: Early Introduction of Allergens in Babies
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What is early allergen introduction for babies?
Are you still confused about when to feed your baby allergens? Over the past few decades, there has been quite a shift in thinking about the early introduction of food allergens for babies, so your confusion is wholly justified. Dr. G dives into this exact topic and talks to two professionals, Meenal Lele and Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, in the field of early introduction. She explores why the guidelines for introducing allergens have changed and how to introduce allergens safely and consistently.
How has the early introduction of allergens changed in the last decade?
Previously, it was believed that delaying the introduction of allergenic foods, such as peanuts and eggs, could help prevent food allergies. However, studies have shown that early introduction, as early as 4-6 months, can help prevent food allergies.
Countries around the world have changed their recommendations to reflect this new understanding. In 2015, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in the United States released new guidelines recommending that infants at high risk of peanut allergies, such as those with severe eczema or egg allergy, be introduced to peanuts early, between 4-6 months of age. The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have also updated their guidelines to recommend the early introduction of allergenic foods. These changes reflect the growing consensus among medical experts that the early introduction of allergenic foods can help prevent food allergies in infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics subsequently recommended that parents give their babies allergenic foods early and often.
What we cover in this podcast about the early introduction of food allergens:
What inspired Meenal and Katie to develop products to help parents with early allergen introduction?
What is early food introduction? Why are we no longer avoiding food allergens in babies?
What studies have shaped the protocol change around introducing allergens to babies? How does this impact 'high-risk' children?
The challenges for the studies and compliance hurdles parents faced.
Why do babies develop food allergies? What hypotheses point to the increase in food allergies in children over the past three decades?
Hygiene Hypothesis
Vitamin D Deficiency
Genetic component
Skin Barrier
The guidelines for early introduction of allergens. How to feed allergens to infants safely?
Why do you want to consider the early introduction of allergens with your babies?
The role of food allergies in a baby's eczema: if your baby has eczema, will they develop food allergies? When to see an allergist for your baby?
What is the best practice for diagnosing a baby's allergies, and why is testing not always appropriate? How to work with your medical team and rely on something other than online information.
Fundamental studies about the early introduction of allergens:
Guest Bios
Meenal Lele is the founder of Lil Mixins, an allergy prevention company for babies. With experience as a food allergy parent and clinical knowledge, she created the company to provide options for parents introducing allergenic foods to their babies. Meenal holds an engineering and business degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of The Baby and the Biome, a book exploring the connection between a child's microbiome and their health.
Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI, specializes in allergies, asthma, and sinus disease. She is the head allergist at Ready.Set.Food and provides top-notch care to both kids and adults at Clear Allergy in Downtown Culver City, CA. As a mom of two, Dr. Marks-Cogan was inspired to work with Ready.Set.Food. Originally from Cleveland, OH, she graduated with honors from the University of Maryland School of Medicine after earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physiology and Neurobiology from the University of Maryland College Park.
