When did you introduce peanuts to your child?

[Lullaby88]

Iv held off giving peanut related products to my child. She is now 3 years old and iv read that if you hold it off it can increase risk to allergies later on in life. I thoughy it was the other way round and now im scared to give her some peanut butter. Im pregnant and have read its good to eat nuts as theres research that shows its prevents allergies to the baby. Any advice is appreciated. nb me and husband have no allergies.

We gave peanut butter within the first month of weaning, along with all the other major allergens. Has she ever eaten Thai food or something with peanuts in? You might find she's already tried it. If not, I'd just give her some peanut butter toast and see what happens. Allergies aren't that common.

6/7 months. In the form of peanut butter

Shes had nothing peanut related. Maybe once by accident. Have i left it too late?

6 Months... smooth peanut butter

Il try it a little for breakfast tmrw but im petrified she might react.

Took her on a tour of a peanut factory when she was 3 months old... She's now allergic.

Yes I think the advice very much used to be to wait but now it’s the opposite and it’s important to introduce allergens right at the start of weaning.

I introduced peanuts at 6 months with a tiny bit of peanut butter mixed in food she had had before (think I put it in mashed potato or something like that), I didn’t give her any other new foods that day or the day after and I monitored for any reaction. When there was none I gave her a little bit more the next time, and then when she was fine again I just started including peanut butter in her diet. I’ve done the same with almonds but not tried any other nuts yet. It’s also how I did it with egg and prawns/shellfish.

I suppose you could do a similar process now but to be safe it would be a good idea to check with your GP or health visitor if you still have one? There’s a lady on Instagram called @theallergydietician you could follow or maybe message for advice I think she does Q&As sometimes

6 months, peanut butter here too (unsalted, smooth) and then I did other nut butters too.

I’d just crack on tbh, you don’t have any risk factors.

I gave a teaspoon on its own several times a few days apart as in babies you are only meant to try a potential allergen on it’s own first of all. Then just in the diet as a normal food item. But with a 3 year old you’ve presumably tried all other foods so you can just whack a bit of peanut butter on toast.

It’s probably going to be fine, she’s probably been exposed to peanut already unless you’ve kept her in a bubble.

Hi @Lullaby88

You could try putting a tiny bit on the skin of her arm first, if there's no reaction a tiny bit on her lips, and if all good a tiny bit on the end of your finger for her to lick off.

It's very nerve wracking! But best to start off small. If you're very anxious you could buy some anti-histamine suitable for children if she does react.

I think there is something in reaction times too. So if there is an adverse reaction in a few mins that means there may be a severe allergy there, whereas if there's a mild reaction an hour later, it may just be a mild allergy where he tolerance just needs to be built up.

The chances are low that she will have an allergic reaction. However remember that if allergic reactions happen they usually occur on the second exposure to an allergen. It wouldn't be mad to plan where to be and when in the day when you give it to her (little bit of peanut butter on a rice cake?) such that you can get help quickly if needed. Nb peanuts aren't actually nuts so it is possible to have a nut allergy that doesn't include peanuts, and it is possible to be allergic to peanuts but not true nuts.

The advice used to be to wait, now it’s to give it relatively early, quite soon after weaning starts, even for those with allergies in the family (my DH has an anaphylactic allergy to nuts so we looked into this when weaning DD).

That doesn’t mean you’ve left it too late and she’ll definitely have an allergy though. My DH’s little brother was raised with no nuts just because they didn’t have them in the house because of DH and he doesn’t have an allergy.

I’d give her some in the morning, so you can watch her for any potential reactions if you’re worried, and start with a small amount and work up.

7 or 8 months ish, peanut butter on toast. Why have you left it so late? The advice is to give them small amounts of nuts as soon as they start weaning.

3 years, as per advice then.

Why do you assume there’ll be a problem?

They used to say you're supposed to wait, then they said you're supposed to do it as early as possible, and now they've come to the conclusion that it makes no difference and they have no idea what causes the allergy.

I wouldn't worry.

I left it late as i just remembered the old advice and it stuck i never looked into it after that. But il take this advice on board and introduce a small amount tmrw for breakfast and wait and see if she has any reaction to it.

Probably whacked it on some toast at 6m but I'm ridiculously relaxed. I don't think I ate anything with nuts in or on until I was in my 20s, it was never something we had at home growing up and we rarely ate out - I remember getting Satay at a Thai place and being amazed. No allergies despite a very late start!

It's now thought better to introduce nuts early (NB not whole nuts) if your child is at risk of allergies. If there's atopic disease in the family, i.e. allergies, hayfever, eczema, asthma, they're at higher risk. Otherwise they're not.
You're right OP, the advice used to be to avoid allergens for children at higher risk. It then changed to weaning as normal (about 12 years ago now in Ireland where I am), and since then an even earlier introduction (of at least some allergens) has been reccomended for babies at high risk.
Hopefully your daughter will be fine, especially as you and your husband have no allergies. I'd keep eating nuts while pregnant, though again it's not as important if allergies don't run in the family.
Many children with peanut allergies have multiple food allergies, so if you haven't seen an allergic reaction to anything else that's a good sign too. My DS's peanut allergy was picked up by the tests he had following a reaction to egg, for example.
The chance's are everything will be fine OP.

Thats reassuring to hear! Thank u

Ohhh I see. It blooming changes all the time doesn’t it. She will be fine xx

This is a very interesting study from a few years ago www.food.gov.uk/research/food-allergy-and-intolerance-research/eat-study-early-introduction-of-allergenic-foods-to-induce-tolerance

Ds is 14 and got peanut butter around 9 months. The advice changed quite a few years ago now. Peanuts (not whole ones) can be introduced from 6 months

I was told to wipe a tiny smear on my baby's upper lip before i ever gave her any and then wipe it off and leave it longer it time for 3 times, leaving it completely the last time time before mixing a tiny amount into her food when she was 6 months. I come from a family with nut allergies.
The first time she had one tiny bit mixed in one spoonful of food in her meal, i gradually increased it over several meals. No other new foods were introduced during this time which is important in the event any delayed reactions (less serious) occur. Now dhehappily eats whole nuts plentifully.
Have plain drinking wayter to hand in case your child foes reacflt steangely, that way you can wash thrir mouth out, but the liklihood of a reation is ptobably much less than the smount uou are wortyinh. Try the peanut butter on the lip first an look for redness or any other reaction first, then just try a little at a time (maybe half a tsp mixed in yogurt or porridge?) rather than a whole peanut buter sandwich for example to begin with.

I did the same with my now 4 year old, mainly because I don’t really eats nuts rather than purposefully holding off. When she was 3 I realised she hasn’t really had any nuts at all, not wanting to hold off any long I just have her some peanut butter on a cracker and have been doing this every so often (I’ve read they are more likely to react on second exposure onwards than first). And then just watched her closely, made sure it wasn’t right before nursery or staying at grandma’s etc. I’ve also give her other types of nut now, nothing hard or anything she could choke on, but I’m other forms. She’s been fine with everything.

Peanut butter at 6 months