If you're weaning your child at the moment, it can be a challenge time – it can also be a scary time if they react badly to a particular food. Do you call your GP? Contact a dietician? Or go to A&?
Video: Is there a lack of guidance around child allergies when weaning?
It's National Weaning Week (May 4-10) and new research by Allergy UK has found a whopping 93% of parents feel there is insufficient reliable information about weaning food-allergic children.
The charity says it means a huge emotional burden for parents and caregivers, and that 73% experience worry, 64% anxiety and 30% guilt during the weaning process. One in 10 say they feel they've been left to deal with their kids' allergies by trial and error, and more than half are fearful about what to actually do in the event of a severe reaction.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, Allergy UK has reported a surge in calls from parents concerned about their children having a severe reaction during the pandemic. But more than half said accessing healthcare was difficult before the Covid-19 crisis even hit.
In response, the charity is launching a free digital support pack with Abbotts Nutrition Business, which includes tips from experts and aims to make the whole experience less frightening for parents.
Weaning Your Food Allergic Baby is available to download from allergyuk.org/weaning, call the Allergy UK Helpline on 01322 619898.