Baby Self-Feeding Week: 7 Facts About Allergies

This week we’re talking all about baby self-feeding. Why, you ask? It just so happens Nancy Ripton and Melanie Potock’s new book, Baby Self-Feeding comes out TODAY! We’re so excited about this book. Not only does it include tons of helpful tips, tricks, and recipes, it also helps you helps you encourage your child to be a confident and healthy eater at an early age, like these 7 facts about allergies in young children.

Enter below for your chance to win a copy of Baby Self-Feeding and a set of NumNum GOOtenstils. Designed for use with pureed foods, the NumNum GOOtensil is a pre-spoon that makes self-feeding easier for babies 6+ months. The blue NumNum uses raised textures to grab food. The orange NumNum uses surface tension to capture thicker blends.

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7 Facts about Allergies in Young Children

Food allergies are common and range from mild to deadly. It is understandable for parents to worry about giving their children certain foods that are common allergens. It can be hard deciding when to give your child certain foods, here are seven tips for allergies and your baby.

1. The big eight

There are eight major food allergies that young children are at risk of. They are dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish. These are not the only allergies your child could get, but they are the most common and tend to be the most severe.

2. Food allergy rates have tripled in the past 10-15 years

Allergies were not a very common, and most parents were not typically too concerned about them. The increase in allergy rates could be due to a number of things, one of them being that people are more aware of allergies, there for more aware of even the slightest allergy.

3. One in every 13 children suffers from food allergies

This shows the increase very well. Every 1 in 13 children translates roughly to two children per classroom. A child with a food allergy use to be an isolated case in the class or even a school, and now it’s at least one student per class.

4. Hand sanitizer and antibiotics may be to blame

The over use of hand sanitizer and antibiotics may be making children more susceptible to allergens. They are decreasing the bacteria children are exposed to. A child’s immune system should to be exposed to different bacteria and germs, so it can be trained to know what is harmful and what is good. This early training can also strengthen the immune systems fight against other bacteria later in life.

5. Some sunscreen free sun exposure is okay

Humans need sun light for Vitamin D productions. Vitamin D is essential to immune system development, and if a child does not produce enough they are at higher risk for allergies. Letting a child, over 6 months of age, have about 10-15 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen, will be good for their vitamin D production and their health. Avoid midday when sun rays are strongest.

6. Later introduction of high risk foods is not always better

Although this use to be the normal consensus of doctors and physicians, there have been studies showing differently. The thought was that high risk foods can be deadly allergies and cause complications. By waiting at least a year the baby’s immune system would be stronger and better able to handle a stronger allergic reaction. A recent study shows that kids introduced to peanuts between the ages of 4 and 11 months actually decreased their risk for developing a peanut allergy.

7. Your child is more likely to outgrow certain allergies

It is likely for a child to grow out of a dairy, egg, or soy allergy by the time they hit puberty. These allergies usually start in childhood and can stay or dissipate by the early teens. It has been shown however that allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish are often allergies for life.

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Let your baby take control of their eating habits and create a healthy relationship with food!

Your baby’s relationship with food starts with her first bite. Set your child up for lifetime of healthy, adventurous eating by letting her lead the way.

Baby self-feeding puts your child in the driver’s seat, helping to establish a positive relationship with what’s on his plate. This book helps you encourage a confident and healthy eater at an early age, featuring:

Valuable self-regulatory skills

Mindful eating strategies

25 baby-tested and approved functional food recipes

Smart-start purees and healthy finger foods, and how to introduce them

Ways to avoid picky eating

Methods for avoiding food allergies and reducing choking hazards

Mess-free tips for dining out

Baby Self-Feeding offers practical solutions, step-by-step ways to transition your baby to early solid foods and smart-start purees. Homemade baby foods avoid the excess sugar, sodium, dyes, and fillers found in commercial products – plus, they’re easy to make even if you are short on time. Let your baby learn to eat at her own pace with Baby Self-Feeding.