Does your family have a history of peanut allergies? A new study has found you may not have to worry about passing it on to future generations.
Food For Thought
The new study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, has found that if you start infants on solid foods or cow's milk before four months they might be less likely to develop a peanut allergy later on.
Scientists found that introducing solid foods early on could 'kick-start' infants' immune systems, making kids with a family history of sensitivities around five times less likely to develop allergies.
The Peanut Gallery
In contrast, some experts generally recommend breastfeeding children for the first six months after birth because it's seen as the best form of nutrition. There isn't any research on whether or not breastfeeding has any benefit to reducing food allergy risks.
Cause And Effect
"It's too early to tell whether early solid foods are a 'good thing' for infants with a family history of allergies," says Christine Joseph, the lead researcher on the study.
The study shows an association but cannot prove cause-and-effect. Joseph said that larger studies are needed to confirm the current findings.