Does breastfeeding prevent food allergies?

Our partners at Ready, Set, Food! support each and every parent’s decision on how to feed and nourish their families. One of those ways is breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding offers many benefits for mom and baby:

• Provides Ideal Nutrition for Baby — Breast milk contains the ideal amount of fats, vitamins, and proteins to nourish your baby during his or her first months.
• Breast Milk Contains Important Antibodies — Loaded with antibodies, breast milk helps baby fight off viruses and bacteria.
• Lower Risk of SIDS — Studies show that breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
• Saves Families Money — With breastfeeding, families don’t need to worry about the expense of formula.
• Oxytocin Promotes Post-Partum Recovery — Oxytocin, a hormone that begins to increase during pregnancy, also increases while a mother is breastfeeding. This hormone promotes contraction of the uterus, reducing post-delivery blood loss and helping the uterus return to its normal size. Often called the “love hormone,” oxytocin also plays an important role in maternal-infant bonding.

Does breastfeeding prevent food allergies?

Although breastfeeding imparts countless benefits for moms and babies and is highly recommended, breastfeeding is not feasible for all new moms, and breastfeeding alone has not been conclusively proven to prevent food allergies. For this reason, early and sustained allergen introduction is recommended in addition to breastfeeding to help reduce the risk of developing food allergies.

To help promote awareness about childhood food allergy prevention and the importance of early allergen introduction, Ready, Set, Food! has partnered with lactation consultants such as the trusted, LA-based breastfeeding resource The Pump Station & Nurtury.

How does Ready, Set, Food! promote breastfeeding?

Ready, Set, Food! Is simple and easy to use for all parents, including those that are exclusively breastfeeding. Their allergist-mom developed system dissolves in breast milk (or formula), giving moms the choice to continue exclusively breastfeeding instead of having to introduce solid foods before a baby is ready. As parents themselves, they created Ready, Set, Food! with every family in mind – a convenient solution that not only adapts to every feeding routine, but also helps reduce the risk of developing food allergies by up to 80%.

Learn more about how Ready, Set, Food! makes it easy for every family to introduce and sustain exposure to peanut, egg, and milk, however you choose to nourish your child – simply add to breast milk, formula, or food!