Dr. Aakefeh Ahmadi Afshar, Vice-Chancellor of Education at Zanjan University of Medical Sciences and Subspecialist in Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology, emphasized the vital significance of breastfeeding and the timely diagnosis of allergic conditions in neonates and infants during the scientific conference entitled “Allergies in Neonates and Infants: Introduction to Metabolic and Non-Metabolic Dietary Formulas.”

According to WebDA-Zanjan, Dr. Ahmadi Afshar elaborated on the primary diagnostic and therapeutic dimensions of neonatal and infantile allergies, underscoring the critical necessity for parents to recognize allergic manifestations promptly and seek professional medical consultation for definitive diagnosis and appropriate management.Highlighting maternal milk as the most complete and safest source of infant nutrition, she emphasized the indispensable role of exclusive breastfeeding in meeting comprehensive nutritional requirements while actively mitigating the risk of allergic sensitization and various pediatric morbidities.The pediatric allergy and immunology specialist also stressed the importance of timely and methodically structured complementary feeding (weaning), identifying it as a key determinant in supporting optimal nutritional adequacy and childhood physical development.

Dr. Ahmadi Afshar further highlighted the need to enhance parental literacy regarding infant nutritional practices. She cautioned that upon observing any suspicious clinical indicators of allergy, formal evaluation and therapeutic guidance must be conducted strictly under medical supervision, strongly advising parents against arbitrary dietary exclusions or unsupervised dietary modifications.