(Photo by Marta Branco via Pexels
By Stephen Beech
Parents aren't following public health guidelines to prevent potentially deadly allergies in their children, warns a new report.
Researchers found that many moms and dads are delaying the introduction of highly allergenic foods such as nuts and eggs into their young children's diets.
National guidelines recommend the early introduction of such foods to prevent the risk of allergies developing.
But the University of Portsmouth study found that many parents are delaying the introduction of highly allergenic foods, which may increase the risk of their children developing allergic diseases.
Foods such as eggs and nuts, which are among the most common allergy triggers, are often being introduced into children's diets after 12 months of age, contrary to public health guidelines.
Although the NHS recommends introducing highly allergenic foods one at a time in small amounts from around six months to monitor for any response and not avoiding those foods whilst pregnant, the study suggests that a large proportion of parents are not adhering to the professional advice.
As a result, the risk of developing an allergic condition may increase, which goes against what many parents believe.
The study included 390 participants, with data collected during pregnancy, at birth, and when the child was around six, 12, and 24 months old.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov via Pexels
Parents provided information on family history of allergies and the infant’s diet, with the aim of assessing whether a family history of allergy influenced infant feeding practices.
Study leader Dr. Suzannah Helps, of the University of Portsmouth, said: “For years, families were advised to avoid allergenic foods during pregnancy and early childhood, but research now shows this guidance may have actually increased the risk of allergies, particularly in children."
The research team found that children with a family history of allergy were more likely to have diets that avoided foods with high allergenic potential.
The findings, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also showed that while most babies were introduced to allergenic foods such as eggs and nuts between six and nine months, by 12 months, one in five had not tried eggs, and a third had not tried nuts.
Dr. Helps says that indicates that many parents are not following guidelines for the early introduction of allergenic foods, a trend observed in both families with and without a history of allergies.
She said it also emphasizes the issue that, historically, guidelines advised against consuming allergenic foods during pregnancy and early childhood, yet that approach may now actually be more harmful.
The research follows major trials - including Learning Early About Peanut (LEAP) and Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) - that show early exposure is key to prevention.
Dr. Helps added: “It’s vital that this updated understanding reaches the public, as delayed introduction of these foods continues to contribute to the allergy epidemic."
She said the findings highlight a gap between public health recommendations and actual feeding practices, suggesting more education and guidance are needed to bridge the divide and promote healthier dietary habits for allergy prevention.
