What's the current advice about when to introduce nuts?

[Tinkjon]

I have a family history of allergies/excema/asthma/hayfever and one person who has a nut allergy. When DD was born the advice was to wait until at least 3 years old before introducing nuts. We waited until she was 5 and she was fine with them. Now DS has just turned 2 and I'm wondering about him - are you still supposed to leave it until a certain age (if so, what age) or not? I have read that it's better to introduce nuts carefully at an earlier age and also that it's better to leave it until much later - which is right? Or do you get a different answer depending on what doctor you talk to?!

[Turniphead1]

You will be glad to know...there is no answer to this.I was just at an Allergy Alliance talk today give by one of the top consultants - and he said, that noone in the medical community knows. The Department of Health has now (helpfully) removed all guidance on the subject because noone knows a) if we increase the risk of allergies by avoiding potentially allergenic foods or b) we decrease that risk by so avoiding.

They are doing a study at St Thomas that should give us an answer, but for now - noone knows.

Sorry not to be of more help but that is the "official" answer.

[Tinkjon]

Thanks Turniphead, that's good to know - well, sort of At least I know I won't be doing anything we know is wrong if I do or don't avoid them!

I have just been wondering whether to try him on them before Xmas when there are inevitably nuts about... not to mention that my best Xmas recipe has nuts in and it was easy to keep him away from them last year but won't be so easy this year!

[BornToFolk]

Food Standards Agency

I found this article the other day and was very pleased as we were avoiding giving nuts to DS due to family history.

We're trying peanut butter out on him - put some on his leg yesterday (no reaction) and will give him a little to eat at the weekend. I really hope he likes it and continues not to have a reaction!