Babies and allergies

Get the 411 on babies and pet allergies

To protect against allergies, get your baby a dog or cat! Despite some parents' worries that having the family dog or cat around their new baby could cause allergies, research shows that early pet exposure might actually help reduce the risk of pet allergies later in life. At the very least, you can rest easy knowing that Fido or Fifi probably won't cause allergies! Multiple pets may decrease child's allergy risk Children raised in a house with two or more dogs or cats during the first year of life may be less likely to develop allergic diseases as compared with children raised without pets. More reason to love your dog!

Read up on babies and food allergies

Preventing food allergies in babies and children The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology suggests that generally most food allergies occur within the baby's first year. As the parent of an infant, find out what you can do to protect your child from food allergies. Food allergies in babies Are chocolate and peanut butter safe for a one-year-old? Food allergy prevention begins at birth for high risk families Nursing mothers can help prevent or delay food allergic reactions in high-risk infants through dietary modifications according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.