CHICAGO — Breast-feeding helps prevent babies’ allergies, but there’s no good evidence for avoiding certain foods during pregnancy, using soy formula or delaying introduction of solid foods beyond six months. That’s the word from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is updating earlier suggestions that may have made some parents feel like they weren’t doing enough to prevent food allergies, asthma and allergic rashes. In August 2000, the medical group advised mothers of infants with a family history of allergies to avoid cow’s milk, eggs, fish, peanuts and tree nuts while breast-feeding. Earlier advice about restricting certain foods from moms’ and babies’ diets has been tossed out and the only concrete advice remaining is to breast-feed. read more

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