Nutrition for babies with food allergies

First foods

Wait until your baby is four to six months old before starting solids foods and watch for signs that he’s developmentally ready. When ready, most babies will be able to eat single-grain infant cereals (talk with your doctor before introducing wheat) mixed with breastmilk or your baby’s hypoallergenic formula. You can also think about adding single-ingredient baby foods, including fruits, vegetables and meats, when your baby is ready for solid foods.

 Common allergenic foods

If your baby has a severe allergy or more than one food allergy, his doctor may ask you to avoid giving him other foods that are known to cause allergies, such as eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, until there’s a chance for more evaluation.

If your baby’s doctor gives you the “green light” to try other foods that may cause allergies, follow these tips:

• Start the new food at home first, rather than at a day care or at a restaurant.
• Wait until several other foods have been added to his diet.
• Give your baby a small amount of food on the first try.
• If he doesn’t react, you can slowly add more. Wait at least 2 days before introducing another new food.

Reading food labels

By law, the eight major allergens must be listed in ingredient statements when present in foods sold in the US. These eight allergens are: eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. Always remember to read ingredient labels carefully because allergens can show up in unexpected places.

If your baby has a milk allergy, look for "milk" in the ingredient statement. The label may also say "contains milk," or you might find the word "milk" in parentheses after a less common form, such as "casein." For example, you may see "casein (milk)" in an ingredient list.

Remember that cow milk substitutes, such as goat-, soy-, nut-, or rice-based milks, should not take the place of infant formula or breastfeeding during the first year.

Below is a three-day menu to help baby with cow’s milk protein allergy, under a doctor’s supervision, start solid foods. In this example, once green beans are tolerated, the other days show how to add new foods: