2023-07-28 19:36:07
The French Elfe study showed that children less exposed to allergenic foods before 10 months are twice as likely to develop a food allergy before the age of 5 and a half.
It is necessary to eat balanced and diversified from an early age. According to a latest study published Thursday in the journal Allergy by the French Elfe cohort, there is a link between the late age of food diversification in children and the risk of developing allergies.
The study focused on 6662 children who did not present any allergic manifestation before the age of 2 months. Data was then collected on their diet between 3 and 10 months and their different allergic reactions.
“Scientists have found that only 62% of children have started food diversification over the recommended period, between 4 and 6 months,” said the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRAE) in a press release.
Indeed, in a note of recommendations from 2021, Public Health France (SpF) had asked parents to introduce all food groups, including foods known to be allergenic (eggs, fish, wheat and dairy products). in the study, Editor’s note), from the start of diversification, that is to say between 4 and 6 months.
Children overexposed to allergies
In the continuation of the study, the scientists quantified the link between the delayed introduction of major allergens and the risk of food allergy.
“They observed that for 1 in 10 children, at least 2 major allergens (…) are not yet introduced into the diet at the age of 10 months. However, these same children have a risk twice as high to develop a food allergy before the age of 5.5 years than those for whom the 4 allergens considered are introduced before the age of 10 months”, specified the INRAE.
A new alert for parents who sometimes find themselves helpless when their baby refuses to eat certain foods. In its recommendations, SpF had advised parents not to force a child to eat but to “not hesitate to offer a food up to ten times” because “a baby may need time to appreciate it”. It is also necessary to “introduce sweet products at the latest possible age and in a limited way” so as not to initiate bad habits.
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