Born in 1969. My siblings and I (except the two adopted ones) were all breastfed exclusively. I'm the only one whose child has allergies. DH (born in 1958) was also breastfed as an infant, but he's rife with environmental allergies and all of the cousins on that side of the family have asthma and allergies. I think this one is clearly coming from DH's genetics!
Sarah

Myself: Born in 1972. Similac (formula). My oldest DS is peanut allergic. I'm avoiding peanut with the younger two, so I don't know about them yet. I had no food allergies, but I had a penicillin reaction (hives) as an infant, and a high fever and spotty rash (not the IGE type) for several weeks after my MMR vaccine...so did my oldest son, the one who is peanut allergic. He is also allergic to penicillin/amoxicillin, same as me.
DH was born in 1970. His mom tried BF but found it difficult, had no support and gave up. So he was formula fed, too. He got allergy shots as a kid.
All three of my kids were breastfed...first two for 12-13 months (6 months exclusively so), third is still nursing at 4 months.
How many of us can find out what the grandparents of peanut-alleric kids ate as infants? I don't know, but will try to find out...
HTH!
April

Boy, you give something to think about!! I'm due with my fourth child in 3 weeks. I have a 4.5 yo daughter, a 2.5 yo daughter and a 16 month old son. My first was nursed for 5 months, 2nd- not at all because of medical reasons (on my part) and my 3rd for 3 months. My 1st has severe eczema, my 2nd has the PA,EA,TNA and shellfish and a sensitivity to certain additives/preservatives, and just discovered patches of eczema. My third has eczema and a senitivity to additives/preservatives.
I was formula fed.
What I'm wondering then, is if the theory is true that I was not "immunologically challenged", does it really make a difference wether or not I nurse this time around? As far a allergies go and eczema, it seems not. Personally, I think breast is best, because of all the other benefits, and certainly there are immunolocical benefits even if moms were formula fed. That just has not been an easy road for me. We'll see what happens this time [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
Kara

My mom said that when I was born 1967, that breastfeeding was not in vogue. She said they even gave her a pill to dry up her breastmilk.
She has an older sister whose children were born in the late 1950s and early 1960's who breastfed all her kids. So, I think that formulas were becoming popular and breastfeeding was becoming less so.
By the way, I think that my DS was definitely born with allergies.....he was displaying allergic signs from very early on.
[This message has been edited by saknjmom (edited October 23, 2006).]

I was also born in 1967 and was indeed formula fed. Interesting. Can't wait to see how this thread evolves!

[i]Excellent[/i]
A way for my [i]mother[/i] to be the one who "caused it." (laughs wickedly....)
And after all her conversations with me about what could have "caused that"... yeah, like we don't have any atopy in OUR family. SHeesh.
BTW, I was breast fed, then formula fed, but ultimately given a goat milk based experimental formula. Why, you ask? Because I was milk allergic and diagnosed as failing to thrive. Goat milk gave me the LEAST trouble, evidently. This was in the 60s. Amazingly, my FIL's infancy has the same exact story. (He was born in the early 30s.)

Both my husband and I were formula fed in 1974--and like others said, it was most definitely not in fashion to be breast-fed.
I breastfed my 2.5 PA DS exclusively for 4 months, and then supplemented with SOY formula(another thread here suggested a soy-PA connection) b/c I was not making enough breast milk (was even on meds to increase it). My son weaned himself, much to my dismay, at 9 months and was formula fed until 1 year when we switched to cow's milk. He has eczema and PA.
Will be following this thread closely. Thanks for starting it!
Jen

Very interesting. 1966 - both BF and FF.
My mom (and my MIL too) also say that BF was not "in" then; FF was pushed.

Corvalis Mom, what you said about Goat milk? I had forgotten this, but apparently I couldn't keep the forumula down when I was a baby. My mom said that i would crawl around and burp and spit up. When I was an infant, I apparently spit up constantly. She told me about giving me Goat Milk.
My mom has passed, so I can't ask her but when DS was a baby he spit up constantly and I remember her telling me I was getting paid back!!!