Dear Friends-

It is my understanding that it is the tendency to be allergic that is
inherited, not the allergy to a particular food.  However, certain other
food intolerances are enzyme based.  People commonly refer to these as
"food allergies". Some of these intolerances (eg lactose intolerance)
can be inherited. In addition, when the mother has an intolerance, she
may not digest the food well and may therefore circulate more of its
protein in her blood, thus exposing the baby in utero and through
breastfeeding  more than most children are exposed to this food and
making a true allergic senstivity in her child more likely. This
obviously doesn't happen with father.

If the father has a true allergy, the mother might think about
eliminating all the common allergens from her diet. From what I
understand, there is no special magic to eliminating seafood just
because he is allergic to that food group.  THe child may develop an
allergy to any of the major allergens. There is mixed evidence on how
effective it is for the breastfeeding mother to go on an elimination
diet. As someone who has had to do this (my child already had manifest
the allergic reactions to several foods when exposed through my milk), I
can attest to how difficult it is.  Many women decide to quit
breastfeeding as a result, which really more detrimental to the child
than continuing to nurse while eating potential allergens.

The mother might also want to keep the child's diet very simple and
delay common allergens until age 2.  THere is more reason to think this
will have long term benefits.  THe longer the child is kept away form
allergens, the less severe a reaction the child is likely to have.

But the main thing she should consider is avoiding all ABM for at least
6 months and preferably forever.  ABM has milk or soy and corn and often
peanut oil, 4 common and very potent allergens.  The so-called
"predigested" ABMs do not work for many truly allergic children.  THe
evidence on total breastmilk feeding as a way to reduce allergies and
atopic disease is quite compelling.

Hope this is helpful.

Warmly-
Judy Gelman, IBCLC
Washington, DC
(Mother of 3, one of whom is very allergic--so I have read a lot and
spoken at conferences, but I am not an expert in this area.)

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