Hi -

Hilary said:

I HOPE that the other readiness cues are in some way temporally
associated with the readiness of the gut to accept solids while
minimizing risk of allergies, but I don't know.

-------------------------

Based strictly on anecdotes from parents I know who are dealing with
food allergies ... nope. If the baby is breastmilk allergic to foods,
then yes, the babies tend to want to delay solids. BUt if they're not,
the parents don't find out the bad news until the baby has a bad
reaction.

By the way, in looking at more recent research abstracts (at the NIH web
site) it's looking less and less conclusive as to when solids are safe
to introduce. There's a distinct disadvantage to starting solids
earlier than 26 weeks, as far as I can tell, and a distinct disadvantage
to starting milk (other than breastmilk) and wheat earlier than 10
months. Other than that, it's anyone's guess. BUT there's also nothing
that indicates any problem with delaying solids in most babies. Just
keep an eye on your baby's iron levels, which *can* drop in breastfed
babies after the 6-month mark.

In the short term, you may wish to discuss with your ped. what could
happen, at different ages, if your child DOES develop an allergic
reaction to a food. There are, for example, no epi-pens on the market
for infants. (A properly used epe-pen can normally buy you abou 20
minutes in which to get to the hospital before your child stops
breathing. An overdose can cause tachycardia or stroke ...) ANd a
pre-verbal child can't tell you about the early-warning symptoms that
aren't visible from the outside.

SO, roulette it is, with the odds in favor of the child whose family has
no history of allergy, or the child who spends its infancy around farm
animals, and even the child who starts daycare in early infancy! Go
figure.

--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.