Delaying the baby feeding with solid food until six months after the birth, mothers around the world apply this as a cardinal principal and try to save their babies from possible risks of developing asthma and allergies. Research however, suggests that mothers are simply wasting their time ensuring that.

Dr Joachim Heinrich, at the ‘Institute of Epidemiology in Neuherberg, Germany’, and colleagues made an attempt to emphasize that even the international guidelines also advise that babies should not be given solid foods for up to 6 months after birth in order to reduce their risk of developing asthma and allergies. These research findings have been published in the January issue of the journal “Pediatrics”.

“Scientific evidence for this advice is scarce“, say the researchers. This new finding is based on the evidence of a study recently conducted that included analysis of data on 2,073 children who were monitored between a period of their birth and 6 years of age.
Parents of all these 2,073 children were asked to complete regular questionnaires on their children’s health and feeding habits. They were also asked to provide the information about the age at which they were given the solid food for the first time.

Researchers also conducted the blood tests and physical examination of all these children at the ages of 2 and 6 years with an objective to identify the chances of development of asthma and allergies.

Researchers, surprisingly, found no substantial evidence suggesting that delaying the introduction of solid foods for 4 to 6 months was in any way related with a reduced risk of asthma, hay fever, or sensitization against certain foods or even allergens in the air at the age of 6 years.

On the other hand, the researchers did observe some evidence that suggests about the delayed introduction of solid foods having a linkage with an increased risk of food allergies among the children.

This large population based study focusing on the asthma and allergic diseases could reveal no sustentative evidence for a “protective effect of a delayed introduction of solids past 4 or 6 months on asthma, allergic rhinitis, or food or inhalant sensitization against food or inhalant allergens at 6 years of age”, said Dr. Heinrich.

Researchers expressed that avoiding giving solid food to the babies for the initial four or six months or introducing the less diverse diet within a period of initial four months bears a significant statistical correlation and positive linkages with the food sensitization process in the babies. Researchers however, suggest being cautious when introducing such a diet to the babies.

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