Mounting Evidence That Delaying Introduction of Certain Foods to Infants' Diets Causes Allergies
The idea that children, and especially infants, are somehow exquisitely susceptible to environmental harm such that exposures to immune system challenges should be put off until that system is "strong enough" has been around for awhile. The lack of any good science to support the claim hasn't prevented it from becoming established medical guidance; especially when it comes to allergenic foods like peanuts, wheat, cow's milk and eggs. Now there's evidence that the advice to delay by a year or more the introduction of such foods into a child's diet until after she's a year or two old is actually the cause of food allergies.
In "Can Early Introduction of Egg Prevent Egg Allergy in Infants? A Population-Based Study" 2,589 children children were tracked by risk factors (especially a sibling or family member with a food allergy), breast-feeding status, diet, timing of introduction of eggs and finally skin-prick tests to determine sensitization status. Giving babies cooked eggs early significantly reduced their risk of egg allergies irrespective of risk factors or breast-feeding status. On the other hand, delaying the introduction of eggs to the diet significantly increased the risk of egg allergies even in those without risk factors.
If there's ever an accounting of all the harm done by the scaremongers the tally is certain to be staggering. In the meantime, they've created a whole generation of eggshell plaintiffs.
