Because of possible food allergies, it's usually recommended to not feed babies common food allergens such as peanuts, eggs, wheat, dairy, and seafood until they're at least one. Waiting until they're three is even better. What's more, certain varieties of fish have high levels of mercury which children shouldn't be exposed to.

New research is challenging those old beliefs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently revised their recommendations and now states that children as young as 4-6 months could have certain foods including fish. Further research shows that babies who eat fish before reaching 9 months have a reduced risk of eczema.

So what are new parents to do? As always, it's important to introduce new foods slowly. And speak to your child's doctor before introducing any of the foods that were previously off-limits for babies. When it comes to your child's health, it's better to be cautious.

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For kids with allergies to eggs, the best medicine might just be cake. Yes, cake.

Here's the deal: Heat modifies certain egg allergens and allows some kids to be treated by feeding them increasing amounts of egg baked in cake. After six months of this cake desensitization process, 90 percent of kids in a University of Athens study had effective tolerance.

The bad news, besides the amount of sugar these kids will ingest while attempting to kick their egg allergies, is that this is not something you should try at home. Kids with known food allergies should be treated under the supervision of a physician only. So, hand over this issue to your kids' doctors and see what the professionals have to say. In the meantime, mull over this topic here.

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We have all heard that pets can help teach kids patience, responsibility, and empathy, but according to a recent study, having a dog in the home during childhood, especially during the first year of infancy, seriously decreased a child's likelihood of developing sensitivities to allergens like pollen. Our own Maggie first broke this story a few days ago but it's worth repeating for those thinking about investing in a canine commitment -- and for those who like photos of cute kids and cute dogs. See gallery that follows.

So the science behind this theory is that dogs bring germs inside on their coats and in their mouths, thus exposing kids to them and boosting the child's immune system. Older generations were often exposed to more dirt and germs as children (you know, because kids used to actually play outside instead of sitting indoors playing video games), and therefore developed a greater resistance to many allergens than kids today.

This study in particular has taken blood samples from 3,000 six-year-olds and will test the samples for hints that the child might become allergic to things like pet hair, dust mites, and pollen. The children will be retested at age 10, but the lead researcher has already stated with confidence that, "Our results show clearly that the presence of a dog in the home during infancy is associated with a significantly low level of sensitization to pollens and allergens."

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I was in the checkout line at Target the other day and spotted a steam mop on the conveyor belt behind my stuff. I asked the woman behind me about it. She was trying it for the first time. At $40, she figured she couldn't lose. Well, anything but $40. But anyway, it piqued my curiosity. Turns out, it's the hot new trend in cleaning supplies.

A recent Washington Post article on the subject offers a pretty nice overview of the method. As for effectiveness and the potential to provide relief for allergy sufferers, steam cleaners seem promising. They are not a "magic wand," but myriad types of steam cleaners can apparently clean things from floors to outdoor grills pretty well. And because hot steam is touted for its ability to kill dust mites, mold and other allergens, they appeal to allergy sufferers.

Another lure is that the method offers a healthier alternative to chemical cleaners and is therefore kinder to the environment, especially waste water. But as with many eco-friendly efforts, there's an "inevitable weighing of pros and cons." Steam cleaners require electricity to use and energy for production and transport and will eventually add to solid waste in landfills.

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Special mattress pads, allergen-reducing fabric sprays, air filters, and so forth ... if you have asthma you may have invested lots of money in products such as these. Dust mites can be a big asthma trigger, and trying to minimize them is a good way to reduce asthma episodes. But a research group has determined that many of the special efforts people take to reduce allergens and dust mites aren't effective enough to make a difference.

Previous studies have reviewed both physical and chemical allergen reducers. The research group reviewed 54 studies. They found that, while many products were ineffective, others did reduce allergens as advertised -- but not enough to ward off an asthma attack.

If you currently own special products such as fancy vacuum cleaners, air filters, and mattress pads, feel free to keep using them. Many do reduce allergens, though they aren't effective enough to make much of a difference. A good habit to get into is washing sheets, blankets, and pillows often using high temperatures. Also, remove soft toys from your child's bed.

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The worst place to keep your shoes? The bedroom closet. Worst place to set your purse? The kitchen counter top. Worst place to keep your toothbrush? The bathroom sink.

But wait, you're saying, what's so wrong with stashing your shoes in the closet? If you've spent the day walking through yards that contain pesticides or other places where allergens and contaminants can get on your shoes, then walking through your house to the bedroom only brings those nasties in. Instead, say health experts, ditch your shoes at the door and put them away later.

As for your purse, studies have found the bottom of it is loaded with bacteria from being set on office, restaurant, and even...eww....bathroom floors. So you don't want it sharing a space with your dinner. And toothbrushes are fine on the bathroom sink as long as it isn't sitting next to your toilet, where it could get splashed with...well, that's enough descriptions for now, I think.

Find out about other places where you don't want to stash your stuff here.

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I'm lucky to be one of the few people without allergies, except for the occasional bout of hayfever. Allergies are a nuisance for so many people, and it seems like there are an unlimited amount of culprits.

Did you ever wonder what the top allergens are? Everyday Health has come up with the top offenders:

1. Mold
2. Dust Mites
3. Pollen
4. Pet Dander
5. Latex
6. Insect stings
7. Seafood
8. Soy
9. Peanuts
10. Lactose
11. Eggs
12. Penicillin

Hmm, surprising. I didn't know that soy, eggs and latex were common allergies.

To find out more about each allergy, click here.

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Asthma is a condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people out there. And though the symptoms are largely the same, the disease varies from patient to patient, each one having different triggers for attacks. This helpful video from Everyday Health helps explain asthma and its triggers, which can include:

• Exposure to cigarette smoke
  
• Allergens, particularly seasonal one
• Dust
• Plants, grass and other vegetation
• Mold
• Cardiovascular exercise
• Pets and animals
• Cold air

When you're suffering from asthma, it's important to talk to your doctor about your condition -- although the triggers might not be obvious to you, your doctor can usually determine what your triggers are through tests or even just dialogue.

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Fingers are crossed in North Carolina, where researcher Mohamed Ahmedna is tentatively thinking he may have discovered a way to nullify peanut allergies for the millions of people who suffer them every year. It involves using a food enzyme to deactivate the specific allergens that cause people all the trouble. Without those allergens peanuts would be safe to eat and safe to use in processing without worry of allergic reactions.

The tests that have been done so far have only been on serums drawn from severely allergic people, and since those showed no reaction the next step is full-fledged human trials. Cross your fingers!


Via Slashfood

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