188 Diet Wise
sometimes because of her pregnancy a woman begins mysteriously reacting
to food that did not trouble her previously. The idea that this could be the
reason is new to me, and I haven’t yet had the chance to check this out, but
the possibility is certainly a most intriguing one.
The first twelve months of life
I carried many babies through their initial diet, from birth to around twelve
months old, steering the parents on how to avoid the child developing
allergies.
Colostrum, the first sticky mother’s milk, is packed with antibodies
and very healthy. It seems that if anything other than this colostrum is the
first thing to enter the newborn’s stomach, then it will be sensitized. So what
do they give in hospitals when they snatch the baby from mother’s arms?
Glucose syrup from corn in a pacifier! Is there any surprise that corn is one
of the commonest allergies in children, second only to milk?
Breast-feeding, as everyone knows, is healthier (for the child) and
more and more women take this responsibility seriously. Unfortunately, a
great many allergens are able to pass through the mother’s milk into the
child. In this way a baby can sometimes be made allergic to cow’s milk and
other substances without ever having eaten them. Don’t overlook this vital
fact, even if your doctor does. An unhappy baby that snuffles, cries a lot,
feeds poorly, fails to thrive or has colic (any one of these symptoms or a
combination) may be a victim of food allergies via the mother’s milk. It is a
pity that this very helpful piece of knowledge is not more widely known.
Untold hours of suffering and frustration on the part of the parents, not to
mention that of the baby, could be avoided by a few judicious steps if only
someone knew what to do.
This means that if a woman is nursing – and especially if she or
her family has a history of allergies or intolerance – she should follow the
dictates of this plan. That means, at the very least, avoid dairy produce,
corn, sugar, caffeine and alcohol, until weaning is complete.
Once weaned, the child should avoid all dairy produce for a year.
Despite all the frenzy for milk and calcium, I have never encountered a child
that came to harm by this key exclusion, providing a good diet of meats, fish, fruit
and vegetables was the staple. On the other hand, I know directly or indirectly
of millions of kids who are sickly and suffering because of the inclusion of
milk in their diet.
Feedback from patients suggest that I was scoffed at a great deal
in the post-natal sessions and by the family physician. But, as before, I was