As a new parent, introducing peanuts to your baby can be a confusing and stressful time. You’re not alone! But don’t worry – I break it all down in this post: the why, when, what and how!
If you’d rather watch a summary of this information via video, scroll down to the bottom of this post!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I make a small profit from your purchases. Your price is not affected by this commission. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Introducing new foods to babies can be an exciting, yet sometimes stressful time for parents. With all the options out there of which foods to introduce first it’s hard to know what to choose. If you have food allergies in your family, it can be even more stressful to introduce new foods to your baby.
With the latest research now suggesting to introduce peanuts to infants earlier, rather than later, some parents have questioned how to do this.
Why did the recommendations for introducing peanuts to your baby change?
If you’ve heard the old recommendation that you should wait until after 1 (or later) before introducing peanuts to your baby to help reduce risk of allergy – it’s time to throw it out the window. New research has actually shown introducing peanuts at an earlier age is more likely to reduce the risk of developing an allergy, rather than waiting, especially in those at high-risk for developing an allergy.
The updated guidelines are based primarily on the “Learning Early About Peanut (LEAP)” trial study. The study randomized 640 infants from 4-11 months of age with severe eczema and/or egg allergy to consume or avoid peanuts until 60 months (5 years) of age. The study excluded infants who tested highly positive to peanuts on skin prick tests, assuming they already had a peanut allergy. The remaining infants were categorized into 2 groups: infants who had no reaction to peanuts (negative) on the skin prick tests and those who had a mild reaction (positive).
The results showed that in the negative reaction group, the prevalence of peanut allergy at age 5 was 13.7% in the avoidance group vs. 1.9% in those who consumed peanuts. Among those in the positive group, the prevalence of peanut allergy was 35.3% in the avoidance group and 10.6% in the consumption group.
With the results showing a big difference in developing a peanut allergy in those who consumed peanuts vs. those who avoided peanuts, the recommendation of waiting to introduce peanuts changed.
What are the new guidelines?
The table below summarizes the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines into three risk categories and introduction recommendations for each.
Group 1 (high risk): If your baby has severe eczema, defined as persistent or frequently recurring eczema assessed as severe by a health care provider and requiring frequent need for prescription-strength medication(s) and/or an egg allergy, you should talk with your pediatrician or other health care provider about possible food allergy testing before introducing peanuts. This would be a good topic of conversation at your baby’s 4 month well baby check-up.What does that all mean?
After talking with the doctor and discussing any results of the food allergy testing, you can decide how and when to introduce peanuts to your baby. This might be supervised in the doctor’s office as an oral food challenge, or could be done at home.
According to these new guidelines, it’s recommended to introduce peanut-containing foods to infants at high-risk of allergy between 4-6 months of age.
Group 2 (medium risk): If your baby has mild to moderate eczema, they are also at an increased risk of peanut allergy. After other solid foods have been successfully introduced at home, it is recommended to introduce peanut-containing foods around 6 months of age. You can introduce peanuts at home when and how it works for your family.
If you are worried, you can always ask your baby’s health care provider for an in-office evaluation before introducing peanut-containing foods.
Group 3 (low risk): This group includes everyone else: infants without eczema or egg allergies who are not at increased risk for peanut allergy. Parents can “freely” introduce peanuts to their baby with other solid foods when and how it works for your family.
What types of peanut-containing foods should I give to my baby and how?
There’s a reason I’ve been saying “peanut-containing foods” in this post: don’t give your infants whole peanuts. That is a choking hazard! However, there are plenty of peanut-containing foods that are safe to give to your baby that aren’t choking hazards. Here are some ways you can introduce peanuts to babies:
- With liquid: Mix peanut butter or peanut butter powder with warm breastmilk, formula or water. Thin it out so it is easily ingested by your baby (you don’t want a big glob of peanut butter getting stuck in their throat). Try using 2 teaspoons of peanut butter to 2-3 teaspoons of liquid.
- With pureed baby food: Mix peanut butter or peanut butter powder with pureed baby food, such as fruits, vegetables, yogurt or cereal. Again, make sure the consistency is thin enough as to not pose a choking hazard. Start with using 2 teaspoons of peanut butter to 2-3 Tablespoons of food, then adjust as needed until you’ve reached a consistency your baby can tolerate.
- With snacks: You can purchase snacks with peanuts in them, such as peanut butter puffs or peanut butter biscuits. Or you can try making your own peanut butter teething biscuits at home!
- On top of foods: As your baby gets older and can tolerate more table foods, you can spread a thin layer of peanut butter on top of foods, such as crackers, biscuits, bread, pancakes and more.
How often should I give my baby peanut-containing foods?
Once your baby has been introduced to and safely eaten peanut-containing foods without a reaction, regular exposure is key to preventing an allergy. The guidelines recommend infants, especially those in the high risk group, eat about 2 grams of peanut protein (the amount in 2 teaspoons of peanut butter) 3 times a week.
What does an allergic reaction look like?
Whenever introducing new foods to your baby, always keep an eye out for an allergic reaction – especially if your baby is at high risk for developing an allergy. Common symptoms of allergic reactions are below.
Mild symptoms may include:
- a new rash
- a few hives around the mouth or face
More severe symptoms may include any of the following alone or in combination:
- lip swelling
- vomiting
- widespread hives (or welts) over the body
- face or tongue swelling
- any difficulty breathing
- wheezing
- repetitive coughing
- changes in skin color (pale, blue)
- sudden tiredness/lethargy/seeming limp
If you are concerned about your baby’s response to peanut-containing foods, seek immediate medical attention or call 911.
What if I haven’t given my high risk baby peanuts and he’s over 6 months?
No need to fret! The guidelines point out that if you miss introducing peanuts during the 4-6 month time period they can, and should, be introduced to infants older than 6 months. This is still assumed to be beneficial for high-risk babies (the LEAP study included infants 4-11 months of age).
As per the guidelines, talk with your doctor about possible allergy testing before introducing peanuts to your baby. Then proceed according to your any test results and recommendations from your healthcare provider.
Watch my video that summarizes all this information!
*This post is for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a healthcare professional regarding questions or changes to you or your child’s diet and/or health care plan.
- Lunch Ideas for Busy Moms - July 10, 2024
- Why Sharing Mealtime Responsibility with Your Kids is a Game-Changer - June 20, 2024
- 10 Best Bedtime Snacks for Kids - June 5, 2024
