In this article, I will talk about the new USDA Dietary Guidelines Report and key takeaways for parents and doctors. Including the following: Important new recommendations for children under 2 years of age How new landmark clinical trials on food allergy prevention support the new USDA Dietary guidelines report to recommend early allergen introduction to help prevent food allergies New guidelines on added sugar for infants and children based on the strong link between added sugar intake and obesity So, let’s dive into it. What is the USDA Dietary Guidelines Report for Americans? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) just published the new 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines Report for Americans (DGA) Report. It is the ninth edition of the national nutrition and health guidelines. All of its recommendations are backed by evidence and research. Millions of Americans already use the USDA guidelines to help them make decisions about nutrition and diet. This year is the first time that the guidelines include recommendations for the 0-2 year age group. That happened as a result of a congressional mandate to create guidelines for this age range. The reasoning behind this addition is as follows: “The first 1,000 days of an infant and child’s life, beginning at conception and continuing through the second year of life, are crucial for ensuring optimal physical, social, and psychomotor growth and development and lifelong health.” – USDA 2020 USDA Dietary Guidelines Report for Americans: What Families Need To Know The 2020-2025 DGA report will help shape the choices of millions of American families on diet and nutrition matters. Here are the 5 things every family should take away from the new guidelines: 1. No Added Sugar for Infants and Toddlers The new guidelines state that parents should “avoid foods and beverages with added sugars during the first 2 years of life.” This is an effort to help reverse the rise in childhood obesity. The report notes that there are nearly 5 million American children suffering from obesity. This recommendation is timely because, as the USDA Dietary Guidelines Report state that many 6-12-month-olds have already had some amount of added sugar in the foods that they eat. 2. Introduce Egg and Peanut to Every Baby One of the key recommendations from the new report is to feed babies allergenic foods such as peanut and egg. This should be done as early as 4 months of age in order to prevent severe food allergies. This is in light of new clinical trials, that demonstrate that introducing allergenic foods is safe and can help prevent up to 80% of food allergies. This guidelines report applies to any infant, no matter their risk factors (even for babies with eczema). This emphasizes how important early introduction is to help parents prevent their baby from developing food allergies. “Introducing peanut and egg in an age appropriate form, in the first year of life (after age 4 months) may reduce the risk of food allergy to these foods.” – USDA 3. Insufficient Evidence on Diet During Pregnancy for Food Allergy Prevention According to the Dietary Guidelines Report, there is “Insufficient evidence is available to determine the relationship between peanuts, eggs, or wheat consumed during pregnancy and risk of food allergy in the child.” This means there is not enough research to support that eating allergy-causing foods during pregnancy will help protect your baby from food allergies. The key takeaway for families is that early allergen introduction is still the only guideline for preventing food allergies in children. 4. Breastfeeding is still encouraged The USDA report found strong evidence that breastfeeding may reduce your child’s risk of being overweight, obese, type 1 diabetic, and asthmatic compared to children who have not been breastfed. Further, the USDA report found that the longer children are breastfed, the less their chance of developing those diseases and conditions. However, it is important to note that the “optimal duration of breastfeeding with respect to these outcomes is not well understood”. 5. Obesity is a pressing public health concern The guidelines indicate that over 70% of Americans are overweight or obese. Again, there is a strong link shown between added sugar consumption in children under 2 and the likelihood of developing obesity or becoming overweight. Furthermore, high rates of obesity are not only public health concerns, but they also drive diet-related chronic diseases, such as “cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer”. New Research on Food Allergies: Prevention is Possible for Every Baby As a Board-Certified Allergist, I’ve seen the rise in food allergies firsthand. That’s why it’s really exciting to see the new USDA dietary guidelines report includes a strong food allergy recommendation. It states clearly that infants starting at four months of age should be introduced to allergenic foods like peanuts and eggs. Based on multiple landmark clinical trials, we have evidence that doing so can actually help prevent the development of a food allergy. In addition, any baby can develop a food allergy. It’s not solely based on genetics. Unfortunately, I think a lot of families may not know that genetics is not the only factor. In fact, there are multiple other things involved. Over half of babies diagnosed with a food allergy today actually have no direct family members with a food allergy. How To Follow the USDA Food Allergy Prevention Guidelines Report At Home You can do early and sustained allergen introduction at home by giving your baby allergenic foods such as peanut, egg, and milk. However, because you have to wait until your baby is developmentally ready to eat solids. Further, the landmark clinical trials (LEAP, EAT, PETIT) suggest that it may actually be more beneficial to give babies allergens such as peanut, egg, and milk starting at 4 months of age. This can be really challenging for parents because many babies are not developmentally ready to eat solid food until at least 6 months of age. In some children, it is even later. Ready, Set, Food!*, to make it easier for parents to do early allergen introduction. We have eliminated the stress of food preparation by creating an evidence-based product that makes it easy for families to follow the new guidelines at home. Ready, Set, Food! is easy to use The product is designed to be administered in two stages. The Stage 1 product consists of individual packets of the food allergen. The intended day of use is clearly labeled on each packet. Packets for days 1-4 only contain organic cow’s milk. Days 5-8 have organic cow’s milk and organic cooked egg white. Days 9-11 (Maintenance) contain organic cow’s milk, organic cooked egg white, and organic peanut You empty the packet into a bottle with at least 2 ounces of breast milk, formula, or water. You shake the bottle to mix just before feeding the baby. It can also be added to food. It’s that simple. Stage 2 is the maintenance phase. Use for 6+ months is recommended by the company. They state that sustained exposure is important to minimize risk. The product is sold in cartons containing 15 packets that contain all three allergens. Note: this product is NOT intended for use by infants who have been diagnosed with food allergy. Further, if your has a sensitivity to the product, discontinue its use and contact your healthcare provider. Source
