I wish I had the definitive answer to that question. However, I have written in the past and I will continue to promote several strategies that research scientist are now starting to advocate. Our children don't have to suffer from allergies particularly allergies that our parents have never heard about.

Some allergies seem to be inherited. However, even people with inherited allergies seem to survive better if raised along these lines.

It seems strange to me that in some cultures food allergies are unknown. It is these societies that science is now examining trying to determine what they do that is different to us. I can tell you in a nutshell.

Sterilize And Be Damned

People in societies that are allergy free don't sterilize everything - in fact, they don't really sterilize anything. Kids are allowed to play in dirt - eat it even. If they drop their food, guess what, they pick it up, dust it off and continuing eating. I can hear you all saying how gross that sounds - and it does, but only because we have been led to believe that cleanliness and hygiene are so important.

Let me tell you something - when we clean our homes use anti-bacterial products - we are killing both the good and the bad bugs. Our bodies need the good bugs. Those bugs help us digest food. They also help us to develop strong immune systems. We also need a smattering of bad bugs. Yes - we will get an upset tummy from them, but we are building immunities and making our immune system stronger. I like what one person had to say - by killing all bacteria, both good and bad, our immune systems are left with nothing to do so they go and find something to do - and that is fight against what we eat - in other words, an allergy

Baby Knows Best

Not regimenting babies feed time. Some people wish that babies were born with user manuals. I am glad they are not. We so regiment a babies life. At three months they should do this, at six months something else. Start solids at 8 months but only give them very weak rice cereal.

What a load of garbage. Babies are people - people are individuals and individuals are different. You cannot apply a set of rules to a baby unless you generalize it. For example, when it comes to food, rather than putting an age on when they start solids, the rule should be - let baby decide. And they will. They will try and take food out of your hand, off your plate, even out of your mouth if they can. When baby starts reaching for food, they are ready to start sampling.

Then second part of this rule is that there is no rule on what they can try. Of course, being able to actually eat something is important so don't try shoveling a chunk of rump steak down their throat. Give baby eggs, milk, wheat and nuts from an early age. Let them experiment with food.

Researchers are now finding that in societies that don't have allergies, the combination of breast feeding and the early introduction of solids is the common thread - and the thread that is so different in western cultures.

Fresh Has Always Been Best

The final piece of the puzzle is processed foods. Cultures that eat no processed food have no allergies. We in the west live off the stuff. Fresh food, picked straight from tree/bush or dug from the ground is always best. Their meat has not antibiotics, chemicals or additives of any kind.

Those that keep pigs feed them scraps - funny, that's what they did when I was growing up. The local pig farmer visited the school to collect all the scraps. Not today - oh no, we need to keep the pigs in concrete jails and feed them on the best in chemicals. I am sure it's an improvement!

How To Keep Our Kids Allergy Free

There are no guarantees - however, those three components together seem to reduce the incidence of asthma and allergies completely. I am not talking about a 50% reduction - this is a 100% reduction.

So to summarize: when ever possible, breast feed to give baby a good boost to their immune system. Feed baby solids when baby is ready, not when the guide books say. Feed them a range of foods including those on the allergy lists - don't be afraid to experiment with food, that's how they learn what. Let them eat dirt, let them play in the dirt and stop sterilizing your home. Sure, keep it clean but understand the difference between clean and sterilized - we don't need sterilizing. Finally, breast feed where possible and steer away from processed foods - rely instead on fresh.

There was a TV report today along these lines - you may be interested in reading the doctor/reporters blog on his findings after visiting a community that was 100% allergy free. It will make you think.