Australian National University researchers claim that children who are only breastfed for their first six months have a greater risk of developing nut allergy than those babies given other foods or fluids during the same period of life (this group included babies who received breastmilk along with other fluids or foods). The study relied on over 15,000 surveys completed by parents. but that is not the reason that the results are under fire, many well respected agencies believe that they may have made a leap in causality that was not really established through this research. The findings suggest that babies who were exclusively breastfed were one and a half times more likely to develop peanut allergies.
Does only giving your infant only breastmilk for the first six months of life increase the chance that they will develop nut allergies later in life? Most agencies speaking out against this study's results conclude that the link found between breastfed babies and nut allergies may be due to other factors altogether. One possible cause suggested is that parents who notice rashes or other signs of allergies on their newborns may be more likely to breastfeed exclusively longer fearing a reaction by their baby to other foods or liquids. This makes much more sense to me.
Much research supports the statement "Breast is Best" when it comes to feeding your infant. The benefits of breastfeeding include providing babies with key nutrients, providing babies antibodies to help fight disease and special mother baby bonding time.
My recommendation: Continue breastfeeding and follow your doctor's recommendation on the introduction of other foods.
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