Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

NUTRITION IN LATER INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD 599
exposures of a new food before they learn to like it, so don’t be discouraged if your
baby doesn’t like some foods right away.
There is no need to avoid giving your baby common food allergens, such as peanut, egg,
dairy, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, or tree nuts. In fact, studies indicate that introducing at
least some of these foods during the first year can prevent food allergies from developing.
The evidence is strongest for peanut allergy. A randomized controlled trial published in
2015, called the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) study, showed that in infants
considered high-risk for food allergies, feeding peanut products beginning between 4 and 11
months reduced peanut allergy by 81 percent, compared with waiting to give peanuts until
age 5. 3 Similarly, early introduction of egg seems to protect children from developing an egg
allergy. 4,5 With any new food, keep an eye out for symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as
hives, vomiting, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. 6
Foods to Avoid in the First Year
There are only a few foods that should be avoided in the first year. These include the following: 1
• Cow’s milk can’t match the nutrition provided by breast milk or formula and can cause
intestinal bleeding in infants. However, dairy products such as yogurt and cheese are good
choices for babies who have started solids. Babies can eat other dairy products, like yogurt
and cheese, and cow’s milk can be added to the diet at 12 months.
• Plant-based beverages such as soy and rice milk aren’t formulated for infants, lack key
nutrients, and often have added sugar.
• Juice and sugar-sweetened beverages have too much sugar. Whole fruit in a
developmentally-appropriate form (pureed, mashed, chopped, etc.) is a better choice.
• Honey may contain botulism, which can make infants very ill.
• Unpasteurized dairy products or juices, and raw or undercooked meats or eggs,
which can be contaminated with harmful foodborne pathogens.
• Added sugar and salt should be kept to a minimum so that your baby learns to like many
different flavors and doesn’t develop preferences for very sweet or salty foods.
• Choking hazards such as whole nuts, grapes, popcorn, hot dogs, and hard candies should
be avoided.
RESPONSIVE FEEDING AND INFANT GROWTH
Regardless of whether infants are fed breast milk or formula, and continuing when they