Breast Milk With Solid Foods Might Stave Off Allergies

Giving babies solid food while still breast-feeding, and waiting until 17 weeks to do so, might protect the infants from food allergies, British researchers say.

The overlap between starting solid foods while still breast-feeding teaches the immune system that food is safe and prevents food allergies, the researchers theorized.

"Mothers should continue to breast-feed beyond introducing solids into the diet so the immune system can benefit from the immunological factors in breast milk that educate the immune system," said lead researcher Kate Grimshaw, a research fellow and allergy specialist at the University of Southampton.  http://consumer.healthday.com/respiratory-and-allergy-information-2/food-allergy-news-16/breast-milk-with-solid-foods-stave-off-food-allergies-682239.html