Allergies in children

It used to be the norm - and we heard very little about food allergies back then.

Another factor is over sanitizing and obsessive cleanliness, + C Section.

My children were give very small amounts of pureed food from about 3 and a half months. On the other hand my GC were on milk only until 6 months of age, fortunately they do not have food allergies. However in my opinion they were hungry!! but my DD stuck to the advice she had been given and I kept quiet!

C section Fleurpepper ?

Yes, whatever difference does that make to allergies?

Some studies have shown that children born by c-section can be more likely to develop food allergies, supposedly because they're not exposed to the same level of bacteria as they would in the birth canal. However, there are other studies which refute this. Going by personal experience, both of my children were born by emergency c-section and neither has any allergies whatsoever.

Same with mine.

One of my DGC was born vaginally and had small quantities of peanut butter at an early age, but has varied and serious food allergies. It may work for some, which is good, but not for all, unfortunately.

sodapop

C section Fleurpepper ?

The mother's gut bacteria is passed on to the baby during passage through the birth canal which populates the baby's bowel.

A baby born by C-section doesn't receive this, although breast milk will help the baby's immune system.

Sorry, Blondiescot, didn't see your message before I posted.

Sparklefizz

sodapop

C section Fleurpepper ?

The mother's gut bacteria is passed on to the baby during passage through the birth canal which populates the baby's bowel.

A baby born by C-section doesn't receive this, although breast milk will help the baby's immune system.

Thank you Sparklefizz. this, exactly.

My 2nd son was started on pureed fruits and veg from 4 weeks old, as he was a very big baby (10lbs 13 born) and always hungry. Not giving babies food until they're 6 months old (as is the thing nowadays) seems daft to me.

Is that your opinion, or based on medical research?

I remember when I was a child back in the 50's, a woman (Mrs Newham) in our street was reported as having hay-fever, and it was so unusual we thought it quite exotic! Now it seems much more common, and I do wonder why. There is no doubt that allergies of all kinds are on the rise. A staggering 44% of UK adults now suffer from at least one allergy. Also, the percentages of children diagnosed with allergic rhinitis and eczema have both trebled over the last 30 years. What concerns me in particular is that despite all this, no-one appears to have come up with a definitive, convincing explanation as to why this is. There are theories, yes, but it's still a grey area. Worrying.

There are conditions called SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth) and Candida, and medications such as antibiotics and antacids/proton pump inhibitors and the Pill change the balance of the gut flora unless probiotics are introduced to repopulate the bowel. When the gut flora is changed, it allows the bad bacteria and/or yeasts to colonise which cause all sorts of unpleasant symptoms such as IBS, allergies and intolerances, UTIs, etc.

Obviously there's a place for antibiotics which are a wonder drug, but when children are prescribed these frequently, they have an effect. I speak from experience - antibiotics saved my life aged 6, but I have suffered from a range of allergies ever since, and in my childhood no one (or certainly not my parents) understood about probiotics and gut flora.

I learnt this the hard way.