Infant Feeding

This will probably be one of the most well used pieces of information; therefore it is our first tip of the week. If followed the results in your baby will have you keeping this close to your side and telling all your family and friends. Baby Purity thanks Dr. Dahl for the many children that have been helped by this guide.

Prevention of Food Allergies

1. Exclusively breast feed for the first six months.
2. Maternal avoidance of highly allergenic foods during lactation such as egg, cow milk, peanuts.
3. Colostrum ASAP after birth provides protection to the digestive lining. No exposure to formula in the hospital because:
   • IGE (an immune cell) is the highest at birth to protect baby from parasites. This also puts the baby at a high potential for allergic response. Even one exposure to formula in the first few days of life can trigger a sensitization to cow milk and cause reactions to dairy proteins in the breast milk.
   • An infant’s digestive mucosa is highly permeable to large molecules in cow milk.
4. Foods must not be introduced too early because:
   • Digestive enzymes for protein are only 20% of that of an adult at 6 weeks
   • Pancreatic amylase needed for starch digestion doesn’t appear until 9 months.
   • Follow the below food guide for the age of your child.

Food Introduction

1. Apply new food to cheek and wait 20 min. If no reaction, apply to infant’s lips. If no reaction, give 1tsp and observe for 4 hours. You are looking for red cheeks, irritability, runny nose, colic, constipation or diarrhea, gas, insomnia or other skin reactions.
2. If no reaction, give 2 tsp, 4 hours later. Watch again for 24 hours and if no reaction, give more of the same food on the 3rd day. Watch again for 24 hours. If still no reaction, the food is considered “safe.”

General Guidelines

1. Delay grains, cereals and legumes until 9 months
2. Delay the following until 12 months
   Yogurt, cheese, eggs
   Fish, chicken, soy
   Wheat, citrus, tomato
3. Delay highly allergenic foods until 2 years
   Shell fish, cow mils,
   peanuts, chocolate
4. Ensure fruits are cooked between 6 to 12 months; have them raw after 12 months.

Formulas

Less Allergenic – Nutramigen, Alimentium
More Allergenic – Carnation Good Start