Peanut butter allergy

[2020newmum]

My baby is 8 months old and has now eaten a thin scraping of peanut butter on toast 4 times. He’s also eaten a small amount of scrambled egg a couple of times. Does that mean he’s in the clear in terms of nut and egg allergy or could he still develop an allergy to nuts/eggs further down the line?

Also, I have a mild allergy to certain fruits (including nectarines). They make my lips swell a tiny bit and I get an itchy mouth. Should I avoid giving these fruits to DS just in case?

No. An allergy can develop at any time. Unless there is a family history of iGE reaction the advice is to give the major allergens as soon as possible after 6 months and regular to reduce the chances of an allergy developing. As you think I you have an IGE allergy you need to seek medical advice.

Thanks @Thatwentbadly. So I need to speak to the GP before giving DS these fruits?

How often should I be giving peanut butter and eggs? I’m concerned I haven’t served them often enough now.

my eldest has a peanut allergy but with my 18 month old i have been giving her peanut butter on toast every few days since 6 months and so far no reaction.Just keep offering when you can to get them used to them but the fruit maybe offer small amount see what happens

Thanks. I didn’t eat any peanut butter as a baby and don’t have any nut allergies, but I know the current advice is to offer it regularly!

Yours sounds like oral allergy syndrome. Just keep offering peanut butter and eggs on a regular basis

Thanks @dementedpixie. How regularly should you offer these types of foods?

I gave mine peanut butter at 6 months due to the recommendations. His face and throat where swollen up within a few mins and he had to go to hospital. So I would say you would know if he’s allergic at the moment if he was.

You’d know by now.

Allergies can develop at any time but it’s unusual to suddenly develop a serious allergy to a familiar foodstuff.

Keep giving allergens (not just baked egg, but plenty of cooked egg as well) to maintain exposure. Our allergist told us to do this. Remember that peanuts aren’t actually nuts - it’s possible to be allergic to cashews etc. but not peanuts. My son loves peanut butter but we carry an epi pen due to egg/cashew allergies.

I don’t know that there’s any research on optimal quantities but just be sensible and offer a few times per week if you’re worried.

My understanding is that allergies don’t run in families but that they can occur at any time. I have an allergy to pineapple and penicillin and their father is also allergic to penicillin so before weaning my daughters I sought advice from the GP and was reassured that just because we are allergic (both to a serious, anaphylactic extent) didn’t mean the kids would be. Touch wood, no allergies yet (both primary age). We do always have a decent stock of antihistamines in though, as much for us as them and me and DH have epi pens (I’ve never used mine but have never been without one since I saw an ex boyfriend with a bad nut allergy accidentally eat something containing nuts on a train. He blew up like a balloon and had to make himself sick and alert the staff so she ambulance could be waiting for him at the next station. Was a nightmare and he was really poorly).

That said about allergies not running in families, me and DH are allergic to penicillin and of our four parents so are three of them AND of our eight grandparents, five of them were too! Hard to believe that DOESN’T constitute a family link 😂

Remember that peanuts aren’t actually nuts - it’s possible to be allergic to cashews etc.

Oh that’s interesting @FartnissEverbeans - I didn’t know that! Why is it advised to give regular peanut butter in that case and should you try to introduce nuts like cashews from an early age as well?

Peanuts are ground nuts (they grow in the ground and are legumes and come from the pea family) and cashews are tree nuts so grow above the ground.

You can be allergic to tree nuts and/or ground nuts

You can get nut butters of things like almond, cashew etc as well as peanut. I stirred a dollop of almond butter into my baby's banana porridge just this morning!

Thanks @Persipan - I’m clearly so clueless! And I’m also concerned that I’ve still not started DS on other nuts at almost 9 months. I thought peanut butter was enough! Could my lack of knowledge mean he’s now at higher risk of developing a nut allergy? I feel so guilty.

Mine is allergic to Peanut and Hazelnuts ( so tree and ground). He’s had a full allergy blood test and they say he isn’t allergic to any other nuts

@Caspianberg have you been advised to eliminate those foods from his diet altogether now?

@2020newmum - yes, we have to as he has anaphylaxis reaction to them. Peanut butter he reacts if someone else at the table has it, so had to remove all from house.

We have been told there’s too much cross contamination with nuts also at the factory, so we need to avoid all nuts

@2020newmum I wouldn’t worry about not having introduced other nuts yet - early introduction helps to reduce allergies at a population level, but the chances of your individual baby being affected are very very small. I imagine babies who are introduced to almond, cashews etc. are probably very much in the minority, and yet (despite how much we hear about it) allergies aren’t the norm.

Also, even if a child goes on to become allergic to something, there’s no way of knowing whether early introduction would have made a difference in that particular case. Even at-risk babies subject to strict allergy protocols sometimes go on to develop allergies. It’s just something that happens sometimes. Nobody is to blame

[quote FartnissEverbeans]@2020newmum I wouldn’t worry about not having introduced other nuts yet - early introduction helps to reduce allergies at a population level, but the chances of your individual baby being affected are very very small. I imagine babies who are introduced to almond, cashews etc. are probably very much in the minority, and yet (despite how much we hear about it) allergies aren’t the norm.

Also, even if a child goes on to become allergic to something, there’s no way of knowing whether early introduction would have made a difference in that particular case. Even at-risk babies subject to strict allergy protocols sometimes go on to develop allergies. It’s just something that happens sometimes. Nobody is to blame [/quote]
I agree with this.

My understanding is that allergies don’t run in families...

This is incorrect, however.
Allergies do indeed run in families, so some people have a genetic predisposition towards developing an allergy. This doesn't mean they will, and if they do, it may be a different allergy to their family member.

It certainly looks like your baby doesn't have either peanut or egg allergy at the moment. Yes, people can develop an allergy later, but it's not that common.

Allergies can certainly run in families - some allergy studies focus on ‘at risk’ babies who have siblings with food allergies, for example.