Introduction of solids to the infant diet
- Department of Paediatric Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Imperial College London at St Mary’s Hospital, London, UK
- Correspondence to:
Dr G Lack
Department of Paediatric Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, Imperial College London at St Mary’s Hospital, Salton House, St Mary’s Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY, UK; gideon.lackst-marys.nhs.uk
Commentary on the papers by Morgan et al and Zutavern et al
The Department of Health has recently supported the WHO advice for mothers to exclusively breast feed until 6 months of age.1 Furthermore, there are expert committee guidelines regarding the introduction of solids in the diet of infants at high risk of developing allergy. The joint guidelines of the European Society for Paediatric Allergology and Clinical Immunology (ESPACI) and the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) recommend that solid food introduction be delayed until 5 months of age. The American Academy of Pediatrics advice is more detailed, suggesting that solids be delayed until 6 months of age, cows’ milk to 1 year, egg to 2 years, and peanuts, tree nuts, and fish to 3 years.2 It is not surprising that these guidelines differ as they are based on the limited evidence of two studies. The first, a prospective non-randomised …
