Babies should not be given nuts or cow’s milk, it was said for a long time. Guidelines worldwide now advise the complete opposite. Experts explain how babies’ immune systems can be trained and allergies prevented.
For many years, doctors advised avoiding foods that can trigger allergies. It was said, for example, that infants should not be given nuts or cow’s milk – in the belief that this is good. But in recent years, science has taken a turn. Global guidelines are now advising on the complete opposite: the early introduction of potentially allergenic foods into complementary foods. Because studies have shown, first for peanut paste, then for eggs and finally for cow’s milk, that it protects against allergies if babies eat these foods early and regularly.