Frequently Asked Questions: Pregnancy and breastfeeding
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Will changing my diet during pregnancy or breastfeeding prevent my baby from developing allergies?
Avoiding the common allergy causing foods including peanut, egg, fish, soy and cow’s milk when you are pregnant or breastfeeding has not been shown to reduce the chance of the baby developing allergies but has been shown to increase the likelihood of lower weight gain by babies.
Therefore, restricted diets during pregnancy or breastfeeding are not recommended for allergy prevention.
REMEMBER: Smoking during pregnancy can lead to significant health problems for your baby including an increased chance of asthma and should be avoided.
If my baby is allergic to a food, should I avoid eating or drinking this food if I am breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding mothers do not need to avoid eating or drinking the food their baby is allergic to unless their baby is reacting to the food in breastmilk, or they have been advised by their doctor to avoid the food.
Removing foods from the mother’s diet unnecessarily puts the mother’s nutritional health at risk, particularly when removing food groups such as milk (dairy) and wheat or removing multiple foods. Mother’s avoiding foods such as milk (dairy), wheat or multiple foods should see a dietitian to make sure they are getting all the nutrition they need.
Will taking fish oil supplements or eating fish prevent allergy?
For pregnant and breastfeeding mums, eating oily fish such as: salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout and herring, 3 times a week may help.
Some research shows that consuming the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish during pregnancy and breastfeeding may help prevent eczema in early life. There is no evidence that consuming fish oil supplements prevents allergy.
Learn more about eczema and food allergy prevention.
Are probiotics useful in preventing allergies?
Probiotics are good bacteria. We usually think of bacteria as germs that make us sick, but research has shown that probiotics are a good type of bacteria and good for your health.
At this stage, researchers are not sure if probiotics can help to reduce the chance of your baby developing allergies.
There is some research that shows that probiotics taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding may help to reduce the rate of eczema in the baby. However, the type of probiotic and the amount needed is still not clear.
If I can't breastfeed, which formula is useful in preventing allergies?
If you are not able to breastfeed or your baby needs supplementary feeding (commonly known as ‘top ups ’or complementary feeds), commercial infant formula may be used until 12 months of age.
Current research does not support the use of partially hydrolysed formulas (usually labelled ‘HA’ or Hypoallergenic) or extensively hydrolysed formulas to prevent eczema, food allergy, asthma or hay fever (allergic rhinitis) in babies or toddlers.
What formula should I use if my baby has a cow’s milk allergy?
If your baby has a cow’s milk allergy, regular infant formula should not be given to your baby and your doctor will recommend an alternative such as soy infant formula, hydrolysed rice formula or a prescription only specialised infant formula depending on your child’s age and medical history.
Children allergic to cow’s milk should avoid all dairy products unless their clinical immunology/allergy specialist advises otherwise.
Most children allergic to cow’s milk will also react to other animal milks such as goat and sheep milk and horse milk, so they should be avoided.
“A2 milk” (from specially bred cows) is claimed to have a number of health promoting properties, but this milk is also not suitable for children with cow’s milk allergy and should not be given.
Partially hydrolysed cow’s milk-based formula (usually labelled ‘HA’ or hypoallergenic) is also not suitable for children with cow’s milk allergy.
Lactose free infant formula is not suitable for babies with cow’s milk allergy.
Is soy milk or goat's milk better at preventing allergies over cow's milk formula?
No. Research has shown that using soy milk or goats milk formula instead of cow’s milk formula does not reduce the chance of your baby developing an allergy.
