Breastfeeding and Allergies: Identifying and Managing Food Sensitivities

Breast milk is considered the gold standard of nutrition for an infant and is ideal for helping to support a baby’s growth and development. Unfortunately, feeding your baby with breast milk isn’t always easy for mom or baby, especially if your child has food sensitivities. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to improve your chances of successfully breastfeeding your child. If you consider introducing solid foods into your child’s diet sooner rather than later, also known as weaning, identifying potential allergies in advance can help ensure he or she doesn’t experience any negative side effects from eating new foods.

What is a food sensitivity?

Food sensitivities are different from allergies. According to Dr. Anderson-Cowell of WestHillsAAA.com, allergic reactions occur when your immune system mistakenly attacks foods as if they were not food at all. Food sensitivities, on the other hand, are genetic disorders that cause an individual to have a reduced ability to digest certain foods. Food sensitivities are health conditions characterized by abnormal reactions to certain foods. Symptoms can include digestive issues such as gas, bloating, or diarrhea, as well as issues such as eczema, rash, asthma, or food intolerances such as decreased appetite, lethargy, or vomiting. Food sensitivities are considered a genetic disorder because they can be inherited. While a genetic mutation causes most food sensitivities, some cases are caused by an infection like parasites or bacteria or an abnormal diet like vegetarianism.

Find out if your baby has a food sensitivity.

If your baby has food sensitivity or intolerance, he might experience digestive issues after eating certain foods, such as dairy. Many food sensitivities are discovered during a baby’s first year of life, but many others aren’t until your child starts school. If you think your baby might have a food sensitivity, you can ask a dietician to run a food sensitivity test. However, before determining if your baby has a food sensitivity, you must rule out other causes of digestive issues, such as gastrointestinal illness.

Suppose your baby has had a recent illness, surgery, or vaccination that caused vomiting. It would be best to rule out other possible causes, such as a viral infection or lactose intolerance. If your baby does show any signs of food sensitivity, you can try to wean him off the food he’s sensitive to. This can be difficult, however, as many babies have difficulty switching to a different type of food.

What can you do to help you wean your child off food?

If your baby has lactose intolerance, replace dairy with lactase-rich foods like unsweetened yogurt and cheese from fermented milk. If your baby has a wheat allergy, try replacing wheat flour with alternative flour like oat, almond, or coconut flour. You can also try substituting oatmeal or Irish moss instead of wheat flakes in your baby’s formula. If your baby has a dairy allergy, you can try lactase-rich yogurt or lactose-free cottage cheese as an alternative to milk. If your baby has a soy allergy, you can try replacing soy-based ingredients in your baby’s food with alternative ingredients like almond milk.

Summary

When it comes to feeding your child, you have plenty of options. You shouldn’t feel pressured to eat solid foods immediately when introducing them. If your child is ready for solids, but you’re not quite ready yourself, don’t worry. Parents often find that the timing is right for them rather than right for their children. If you wait to introduce solids, you can still get the nutrients your child needs from breast milk. While breast milk is ideal, it can even be a bit too good since it lacks the added ingredients in commercial baby food. You can also prepare food for your baby at home, which is often fresher than baby food. You can also visit your pediatrician, dietician, or even lactation consultant to receive recommendations on improving your nutrition while still feeding your child breast milk.