Do's and dont's of preganancy in allergy prone mothers

Pregnant mothers should:

1. Not smoke cigarettes and avoid passive smoking.
2. Avoid excessive alcohol intake.
3. Avoid allergy provoking foods such as peanuts, nuts, sesame, eggs and fish.
4. Avoid excessive exposure to pets such as cats, dogs, horses and house-dust.
5. Continue to take regular prescribed Preventer and Reliever Asthma medication throughout pregnancy. The Reliever Beta Agonists actually help to relax the womb muscles. Medication such as aspirin, beta blocker medication and codeine are other possible allergy triggers.
6. Avoid all non-prescription drugs and vitamins that contain colourings or additives.
7. We recommend avoiding any allergy provocative procedures in pregnancy such as Skin Scratch Testing or Desensitisation Immunotherapy.
8. Pregnant women should continue to exercise, eat a balanced diet and get plenty of sleep.

Newborn babies should have:

1. Exclusive breast feeding for 6 months if possible
2. Avoid exposure to cow’s milk and formula milk unless hypo-allergenic formulas
3. Be exposed to normal childhood viruses
4. Avoid antibiotic treatment for viral illnesses unless absolutely essential
5. Avoid creams containing nut oils, perfume and additives
6. Avoid all processed baby foods and rather eat freshly prepared foods from the age of 6 months.
7. Avoid all exposure to cigarette smoke.