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The Elimination Diet
One way to help breastfed babies with food allergies is for the mother to eliminate problem foods from her diet. The elimination diet can ease a baby’s symptoms by avoiding allergens, but it is just one of several things that will help a baby suffering from allergies. Babies’ allergies may be worsened if they are not latched on correctly when breastfeeding. Proper nutrition can also help babies overcome allergies faster, particularly diets with a large amount of highly nutritious vegetables (as long as they aren’t bothering the baby). Chiropractic has been known to help some babies suffering from allergies as well. Infant allergies are different than adult allergies. In fact, they are not really allergies at all. Babies react to food because their systems aren’t mature enough to digest the food proteins they encounter. Adults have allergic reactions because their bodies mistake harmless substances for dangerous ones. Because babies’ reactions to food are similar to allergic reactions, they are often referred to as allergies. What to Eliminate The most common foods causing discomfort in breastfed babies are dairy, chocolate, caffeine, spices, cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and radish, and wheat. Since babies can be sensitive to |
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Because food is eliminated for a few weeks or months, it’s easiest to use a substitute for the food rather than completely changing the diet. This will be easier on mother’s system. Rice milk and cheese can be substituted for dairy milk and cheese. Carob can be substituted for chocolate. Hot grain drinks can be substituted for coffee. Gluten-free items can be used in place of wheat products.
Eliminate then Wait Some foods take a long time to clear the system and will continue to affect your baby for days or even weeks after the food has been removed from the mother’s diet. Milk proteins can take up to two weeks to completely leave the system. The baby should show some signs of improvement within a week, however. If the baby doesn’t improve in that time, then additional foods can be eliminated but it’s best not to add back in any foods until the baby shows signs of improvement. Once you have identified the foods causing your baby’s problems, you should avoid them until your baby is at least 4 months old. By this time, your baby’s system should have developed well enough to be able to digest foods better. You can try adding back in small amounts of the food to check for any reactions. |
Additional Information:
Nutrition and Colic: How nutrition affects babies. Breastfeeding and Colic: How you can help your baby's colic through breastfeeding. |