Allergies: prevention

Among other things, a certain genetic predisposition plays a role in the development of allergies . Today, experts are of the opinion that certain preventive measures are important , especially for children with a genetic burden. In any case, consult your doctor about the risk of developing an allergy. If a woman is pregnant and there is a tendency to allergies in her family, she should inform her gynecologist .

Maternal and child nutrition

In general, there is no universally valid nutritional recommendation , following which it would be possible to prevent the development of allergies in a child. A healthy, balanced diet that starts before conception is ideal . Breastfeeding is also an important factor for the prevention of allergies .

Breastfeeding and complementary foods

With regard to breastfeeding, the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, with its recommendation [1], joined the position of the World Health Organization [2], according to which mothers should breastfeed their children exclusively (i.e. without adding other foods or liquids) until the age of 6 months. After that, appropriate foods (vegetables, meat, fruit, etc.) should be gradually introduced into the infant’s diet, but breastfeeding should continue until the child is 2 years old, or even longer (see Breastfeeding category ).

Currently, there is no clear evidence that delaying the introduction of solid foods has a preventive effect on the development of allergies. If a mother cannot breastfeed for some reason, a general practitioner for children and adolescents will help her choose a substitute infant formula. If the child has an increased risk of developing an allergy, the doctor will assess, for example, the possibility of introducing hypoallergenic (HA) nutrition.

Allergenic foods

When introducing complementary foods, it is not necessary to avoid so-called allergenic foods (such as nuts, eggs, fish, etc.). However, even healthy pregnant or lactating women do not have to avoid potentially allergenic foods .

Cigarettes and tobacco

Smoking and “mere” exposure to tobacco smoke increases not only the risk of developing allergies, but also the risk of developing asthma . Above all, during pregnancy, a woman should completely avoid any use of tobacco , including passive smoking! In addition, parents should not smoke near children, and children should not be in smoky rooms.

Pets

It is not recommended to get a furry pet when you have a newborn at home. However, if a cat, dog or other animal already lives in your household during pregnancy, you definitely do not have to get rid of it.

Hygiene

There is no need to overdo it with hygiene and it is not even necessary to keep the child at a respectable distance from the forest, meadow, animals and other children. On the contrary, some studies indicate that a certain “start-up” of the immune system in early childhood has very positive effects and the child thus builds up the necessary protection (e.g. childhood spent on a farm, regular contact with other children – e.g. in a nursery – in the first two years of life etc.).