Allergic parents often worry about how to introduce foods to their babies, given that the tendency to allergies runs in families. This has led to the advice to focus on the least allergenic grain – rice – as baby’s first cereal.

New research out of the UK, however, shows that babies who have had oat-based porridge from 5 months of age, were less likely to develop asthma. The study shows that the risk of asthma was reduced by almost two-thirds compared to babies that got oat cereal later.

Another interesting finding is that babies fed fish early in life had much lower rates of hay fever by 5 years of age.

The findings clash with infant feeding guidelines that recommend exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months before introducing solids and don’t recommend animal proteins until much later.

However, infant feeding guidelines have changed over the years. In the 1960′s, North Americans were advised to introduce meat to their infant’s diets immediately after cereals – which were often given in the first weeks of life.

Regardless of when parents choose to introduce solids, breastfeeding should definitely continue for an extended period. Research is very clear regarding the benefits of breastfeeding on the developing immune system. In fact, the World Health Organization promotes breastfeeding to two years and beyond, both for the health of mom and baby.

Sources: News.Scotsman.com; BeAllergyWise