by BabyCenter Featured Expert posted in Parenting

*This post was written by an outside pediatrician, not by BabyCenter. Please consult your pediatrician with any food allergy questions you have regarding your child.
By Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson
Food allergies can happen to anyone regardless of family history. Thankfully, new research has led to updated feeding recommendations that, when followed, can lower your child?s risk of getting an allergy, and set them up for a lifetime of free eating. It turns out that giving your baby a variety of foods early and often can potentially help protect your child from a food allergy later.
Photo credit: @gparrish
Learn more about the new recommendations:
Anyone can develop a food allergy Anyone can develop a food allergy, even if both parents are allergy-free. Research shows that for 65 percent of people with an allergy, there was no parental history. If you have school-aged children, you?re likely already aware of the growing prevalence of food allergies.
According to a study done by Food Allergy and Research Education (FARE), the world?s largest nonprofit devoted to food allergy advocacy, two kids per classroom are now affected by a food allergy, and 22 percent of children who experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction at school were unaware they had an allergy in the first place (AAP).
These stats aren't just about peanuts -- 75 percent of people with a food allergy have an allergy to something in addition to, or other tha...