Babies Who Eat Fish Lower Their Eczema Risk
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Once, the American Academy of Pediatricians recommended that parents of children at higher risk of eczema and allergies held off feeding their babies certain foods until age 3. The thinking was that if parents avoided foods that cause a large percentage of all food allergies, like fish, until the child was older, then their immune system would be better able to cope with a possible allergic reaction.
In 2008 the AAP reversed their recommendation, saying there was no convincing evidence that eating fish early did increase the likelihood of allergies. And a study from Sweden now suggests that babies who start to eat fish between 6 and 9 months may actually have a lower risk of developing eczema.
The type of fish eaten didn’t seem to make any difference. Researchers had thought that the affect might have been due to omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish, but now they believe that’s not the cause.
White fish is the least “fishy” tasting and can be pureed for younger babies, and of course fish sticks are always popular with older babies and toddlers.
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