At what age can you offer peanuts as a snack and peanut butter sandwiches?

[99redballoons]

Ds is 3 this month and haven't offered peanuts as a snack yet, nor peanut butter. He's not shown any aversion to other seeds and nuts. I'm sure he's probably had peanuts in the past, eg. cakes, biscuits. I know they can be a choking hazzard and he does talk with his mouth full which always sends him spluttering at some point.

What's the best age to introduce peanuts?

[WigWamBam]

It's recommended not to give whole peanuts until they're 5, because of the choking risk. Otherwise it should be fine to try him with things like peanut butter now.

[hotmama]

WWB is right about not giving whole nuts to under 5's because of the choking risk.

As long as there isn't an allergy you should be O.K. with peanut butter after 1. My dd1 is 20 months and regularly has peanut butter on toast.

[misdee]

if you have no history of allergies in the family then proceeding now with peanut butter would be ok.

[99redballoons]

Thanks for the whole nuts advice. Will wait till he's nearer 5.

We have asthma and milk allergies in the family but no nut allergies. Neither of my two appear to have any food allergies at the moment (3yo and 7mo) and neither do their cousins. And as I mentioned I'm sure he's had them in flapjack and musli etc so I'm hoping no reaction!

Thanks again :)

[99redballoons]

I've left it so long to introduce peanut butter fickle him will probably not like it :o

(will not offer to baby!)

[TheHun]

if you do go ahead make sure you are prepared for a reaction. I gave dd peanut butter and she reacted badly, I was on my own and had to call 999 for an ambulance. She has a confirmed peanut allerg.y I should have had dh with me or if you want to be really cautious try a peanut butter sandwich in A&E hospital car park - drastic but you'll be near help. dd reacted within a couple of minutes.

[99redballoons]

Gosh TheHun. Thanks for that info. I hope your dd was not affected too badly. What sort of reaction can happen?

[treacletart]

Im sure I read somewhere that Nigella Lawson fed her kids peanut butter for the first time in the doctors waiting room so she could be in the right place if anything went wrong.

[FrannyandZooey]

I left it till age 3 as well. I agree it might make sense to make sure you have transport handy, I never thought of that.

[essbee]

99, a nut allergy is often anaphylactic which is the most serious type of allergy. It can make you swell inc in your throat, loss of bp, unconsciousness etc but usually it starts with a lower reaction which builds up after repeated exposure. Signs of an early anaphylactic reaction can include itchiness, tongue tingly and a runny nose amongst others. There is no set rule unfortunately.

As there is a family history of nut allergies amongst other food allergies I was advised to leave it until as late as possible but at least 7. My ds has knowlingly recently tried almonds (he's 8) but I see little point in trying other nuts just yet, when he goes to parties (or my dd, 4 for that matter) I make a point of them knowing I don't give them nuts. They do eat things that say that they make contain traces of nuts though whoch obvs you wouldn't do if they had a known allergy.

[FrannyandZooey]

Just thinking though, is it not the second exposure that causes the allergic reaction? Was Nigella in her doctor's surgery two days running? I think I would have asked her to shove up and make room for ill people, personally.

[essbee]

Tbh I think you're more likely to catch something from sitting in a surgery than getting a reaction but that's just my opinion. It does make sense to make sure you have transport and a hosp not too far away though. You are quite right in that it's the 2nd exposure that puts you at risk. During the 1st exposure your body mistakes the nuts as a harful sustance and creates antibodies against them to 'protect' you. Then when you're exposed again it releases histamines and chemicals galore. The trouble is sometimes people are unaware when you've been exposed. So many foods have traces of nuts.