FAMP-IT
Food Allergy Management and Prevention
Support Tool for Infants and Toddlers
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For Newborns

Breastfeeding

Why is breastfeeding good for your baby?

Human milk has a lot of important nutrients. Colostrum, the first milk that comes out after giving birth, helps to protect your baby, as it is rich in antibodies. This can help build their immune system.

Additionally, breastmilk also:

If you cannot or choose not to breastfeed, support is available to help you find the best infant formulas. Reach out to your healthcare team for guidance.

What should the mother’s diet be when breastfeeding?

Energy, protein, and other essential nutrients that make up breast milk come from what the mother eats. It is important for women who are breastfeeding to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and stay hydrated.

It’s best if mothers can eat a variety of foods while pregnant and breastfeeding. If mom is not allergic to any foods, then keeping the common food allergens in the diet is great.

Good handwashing habits are important for managing food allergies. Always wash hands before and after the following:

Just because a child has a food allergy does not mean the mother has to stop breastfeeding.

Dot phrases modified from PDF found at: https://famp-it.org/wp-content/uploads/Breastfeeding-Education-Pediatrician.pdf

Additional Resources

Use the QR code below or click on the hyperlink to watch a video, Preventing Food Allergies — What You and Your Family Can Do in the First Several Months, with simple tips on what you can do in the early months of your baby’s life to help prevent food allergies.

vimeopro.com/user22732304/preventing-food-allergies

QR code for video

Visit fampitfamily.org for detailed resources on Early Introduction, Food Allergy Management, and more.

Introducing Complementary Foods

What are the current recommendations for complementary feeding and food allergens?

Waiting to introduce common food allergens to your child may increase the chance of food allergies, especially if they have eczema or a previously diagnosed food allergy.

The common food allergens are:

Begin complementary feeding (giving solids while breastmilk or infant formula are still the main food source) around 6 months, and as early as 4 months to 6 months, if your child is developmentally ready.

The common food allergens should be introduced at the same time as complementary foods.

Between ages 0-4 months: Exclusive breastmilk and/or formula feeding

Between 4-6 months: When your child is ready, start to introduce complementary foods

Healthy Dietary Patterns in Your Baby’s First Year of Life

Give:

Limit:

Avoid:

Introducing your child to the 9 major allergens:

The 9 major potentially allergenic foods should be introduced as complementary foods. There is evidence that introducing peanut-containing foods in an infant’s first year of life can reduce the risk that s/he will develop a peanut allergy There is no evidence that delaying introduction of allergenic foods beyond 6 months prevents food allergy.

  1. Dairy
  2. Egg
  3. Peanuts
  4. Tree Nutrs
  5. Soy
  6. Wheat
  7. Fish
  8. Shellfish
  9. Sesame

Dot phrases modified from PDF found at: https://famp-it.org/wp-content/uploads/aap-statement-FAMPIT_Nutrition-Education_less12mo.pdf

Early Food Introduction
Skincare and Eczema Management
IgE Mediated
Food Allergy
Non-IgE Mediated
Food Allergy

Health Literacy and Cultural Competency

Definitions of Health Literacy

“Health literacy the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions”
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

“Health literacy is the use of a wide range of skills that improve the ability of people to act on information in order to live healthier lives. These skills include reading, writing, listening, speaking, numeracy and critical analysis, as well as communication and interaction skills. Health literacy allows the public and personnel working in all health-related contexts to find, understand, evaluate, communicate and use information.”
Calgary Charter

“Personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the ability to find, understand, and use information and services to inform health related decisions and actions for themselves and others.”
“Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations equitably enable individuals to find understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.”
Healthy People 2030

What is Health Literacy?

The various different definitions of health literacy demonstrate how the field has grown and evolved. At its core, health literacy is the use of reading, listening, analytical and decision-making skills as well as the ability to apply these skills to health contexts. Examples include: the ability to understand consent forms, doctor’s instructions, using health technology, instructions on how to use auto-injectors, understanding medical education material and the ability to navigate and negotiate complex health care systems.

A 2003 U.S. Department of Education National Assessment of Adult Literacy survey found that 36% of adult participants had basic or below basic health literacy skills. People with low health literacy use more healthcare services, are at greater risk for hospitalization and incur more healthcare costs. Vulnerable populations include older adults, low-income populations, minority populations and immigrant populations.

Why is Health Literacy Important to Food Allergy Management, Prevention and Care?

Both health care providers and their patients play a major role in health literacy. Health literacy is more than just skills to navigate the health care system; clear communication between providers and patients is crucial. People make decisions that affect their health on a day-to-day basis, most of which do not take place in a medical facility. In order to stay healthy and prevent or manage food allergies, people need to know what and what not to feed their child, how to read food labels, when to get evaluated by a specialist, how to report symptoms, when to introduce food allergens, how to avoid cross contact, where to find breastfeeding recommendations and how to seek emergency care. These complex skills are not taught by health, educational and social institutions. It is therefore the responsibility of the healthcare system and health professionals to educate and empower individuals.

Moving towards a patient-centered healthcare delivery system will improve the quality of health care and reduce costs. Patients should play an active role in medical decisions and develop a strong understanding of food allergy management and prevention information through the effective communication skills of the provider. Providers should distribute patient education materials written in clear, plain language to aid with knowledge dissemination. Patients and providers need to work together to develop health literacy skills, which would facilitate informed decision-making about managing food allergies.

Health Literacy and Culture

Cultural and social contexts influence how people communicate, understand and respond to health information, it plays an important role in health literacy. Ethnic backgrounds, belief systems, communication styles and social communities shape an individual’s health literacy. When cultural norms do not align with the dominant ideologies of the healthcare system, individuals will have difficulty communicating with providers, adhering to medical advice and accessing health services. These disparities are exacerbated in individuals with low health literacy and those of low socio-economic status.

What is Cultural Competence?

Cultural competence in healthcare refers to practices and behaviors that allow all patients to receive high-quality, effective care, irrespective of cultural background, language proficiency, socioeconomic status and other factors that may influence a patient’s characteristics. Both patients and providers alike bring their own cultural affiliations into healthcare. Improving cultural competency in healthcare services, through patient-provider interactions and education materials, will help meet patients’ social, cultural and linguistic needs.

Why is Cultural Competence Important to Food Allergy Management, Prevention and Care?

Food is a social construct; it is deeply rooted in our culture, traditions, social relationships and interactions. Thinking about food from a cultural perspective is important in the context of food allergies. People from cultures around the world prepare and consume the same food in many different ways. For example, dry roasted peanuts are commonly consumed in North American diets and confer higher allergenicity compared to boiling peanuts, which is customarily practiced in Asian cuisine. In Israel, a puffed peanut treat is one of the first finger foods given to babies.  

Different cultures have different norms, especially when it comes to early introduction of foods. It is imperative to keep cultural contexts in mind when giving early introduction guidance. Clinical care should be patient-centered and tailored to individuals within the context of their family and community. Healthcare services that are inclusive of the health beliefs, practices and cultural needs of diverse patients can increase adherence and help improve health outcomes.

References

  1. Cultural Competence and Patient Safety | AHRQ. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  2. Cutilli, C. C., & Bennett, I. M. (2009). Understanding the Health Literacy of America Results of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Orthopaedic Nursing / National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses, 28(1), 27–34.
  3. Health Literacy| NIH. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  4. Health Literacy Fact Sheets. (2013, October 1). Center for Health Care Strategies.
  5. Saha, S., Beach, M. C., & Cooper, L. A. (2008). Patient Centeredness, Cultural Competence and Healthcare Quality. Journal of the National Medical Association, 100(11), 1275–1285.
  6. Tham, E. H., & Leung, D. Y. M. (2018). How Different Parts of the World Provide New Insights Into Food Allergy. Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research, 10(4), 290–299.
  7. The Blueprint | National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services. (n.d.). Think Cultural Health. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  8. US Department of Health and Human Services, The Office of Minority Health—What Is Cultural Competency? (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  9. What is Health Literacy? | CDC. (2020, September 18).

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