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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

Peanut during weanin

37 replies

FartnissEverbeans · 08/02/2017 06:03

Hi everyone, I haven't started weaning my 4mo DS yet but I have been researching how to do it properly when the time comes.

He still tongue thrusts and seems satisfied on his formula milk, but he LOVES tasting other things. At the moment he's on Zantac for reflux and he goes nuts every time he's given it, he loves the stuff (even though I tasted it and it's absolutely foul) and he loves his vitamin D drops too. DH also gave him a lick of frozen yoghurt Blush which went down very well. I read that the French see weaning as the time to introduce lots of new flavors to develop children's palates, and I thought I might look at things that way, and start him off at about five months on food like avocado and banana rather than baby cereal which sounds really bland.

Anyway, a lot of research is suggesting that the introduction of allergenic foods from 4-6 months is beneficial and can prevent food allergies. The American Academy of Paediatrics is changing their guidelines to reflect this and say that peanut should be introduced freely along with other solids to children who are not in at-risk groups (at-risk children are recommended to be given quite a lot of peanut from four months).

So I've been thinking that one of my DS's starter foods could be a peanut butter purée. Is anyone else doing it? Has anyone got any advice or guidance?

Thanks!

OP posts:
PetalMettle · 08/02/2017 06:12

I didn't start weaning until 6 months but one of the first things I gave was a bit of peanut butter on a spoon. You can get ones that are just peanut ie no salt/sugar in the supermarket

mummytime · 08/02/2017 06:22

I thought the guidance in the UK is not to start weaning until 6 months?

PetalMettle · 08/02/2017 06:43

It's not mummytime but it used to be 4 months so I think some people do earlier.
Just noticed about the vitamin d drops - I think uoure not meant to give those to ff kids as formula is fortified with vitamin d?

perfectlybroken · 08/02/2017 06:53

I started with some simple foods at 4 months, egg yolk, banana, plain yoghurt, and introduced nuts pretty earlier. Id go for the more expensive peanut butter which doesn't have anything added.

Original poster
FartnissEverbeans · 08/02/2017 06:56

PetalMettle, that's what I thought too and I'm going to talk to my paediatrician today as they told me to use it. I live abroad, ironically in a really sunny country, but as nobody goes outdoors and guidelines are to keep babies out of the sun completely they seem a bit obsessed with vitamin D. It's hard to overdose on it anyway but I agree it seems unnecessary.

Mummy time, the guidelines are 6 months and I might end up leaving it til then, I don't know yet. But if the research on allergies is correct (and it's being taken very seriously) then the current guidelines on introducing allergenic foods late is responsible for deadly allergies that could have been prevented. So I'm doing my own research and taking them with a pinch of salt at the moment.

OP posts:
mummytime · 08/02/2017 07:48

I think the possible problem with allergies is that in the UK you were encouraged to not give peanuts at all until at least 1 or 2 years of age. And even for mothers to avoid such foods. If you are eating a variety of foods then your baby should be picking them up if you breast feed.

I did wean one of mine at about 4 months under the original guidelines, but do regret it - we could easily have done six months (and just maybe they would have had fewer stomach upsets later, but maybe not). It was easier to wait to six months, but parents are often impatient with the first child - I know I was.

Original poster
FartnissEverbeans · 08/02/2017 08:42

Well I've just been to the paediatrician who says he won't be able to drink enough formula to meet his vit D requirements so that's fine.

She also said I should start weaning him now Hmm and that it might help with his reflux...

OP posts:
mummytime · 08/02/2017 09:06

Where R U? It sounds like outdated advice.

I would go with what you think is best.

welshweasel · 08/02/2017 09:10

We weaned at 5 months due to reflux. Peanut butter mashed with banana was introduced fairly early on. He'd had all the major potential allergens before 6 months as is being recommended by the most recent research. We didn't start giving a multivitamin until about 10 months as he was still drinking lots of formula until that point. Once they drop below 500ml per day you're advised to give vitamins.

AlfieTheRailwayCat · 08/02/2017 09:13

mummytime advice must have changed since you did weaning. The current uk advice is 6 months for weaning and to freely introduce allergenic foods unless your child is an at risk child e.g somebody in the family already has a nut allergy.
There's been research to suggest that waiting until 6 months means less digestive issues later on in life.

welshweasel · 08/02/2017 09:15

Alfie, actually the most current research shows that weaning between 4 and 6 months is beneficial in terms of reducing allergies. Before 17 weeks is a no no due to immature digestive system. The guidelines are likely to change again but will take a while to catch up.

Artandco · 08/02/2017 09:16

I started after 6 months. But from that time they ate all different types of nut butters. Baby rice has 0 nutrients so pointless

peaceloveandbiscuits · 08/02/2017 09:19

Peanut butter was one of my DS' favourite weaning foods :) try spreading it on apple or banana. You can also use it to make a satay sauce for him.

Heirhelp · 08/02/2017 09:24

NHS For the last 16 years has said 6 months and the WHO also says 6 months for weaning.

If he has bad reflux then he needs more than Gaviscon (zantac) and he needs to be rantadine.

If you want weaning to be about learning to love food then look into baby led weaning. Basically you don't start until 6 months and they are able to air unassisted but you give normal food not purée.

savagehk · 08/02/2017 09:28

There have been conflicting allergy studies. We went for BLW at 6m and you can feed anything (bar choke hazards, added salt and honey). If there's a family history of peanut allergy seek further medical advice.

ladyvimes · 08/02/2017 09:37

I think if they have an allergy they have an allergy regardless of when you start weaning. I think the younger you are the less of a reaction you would have to an allergen so I guess it is good to start off early (as in 6 months).
We gave my dd and dd peanut butter from 6 months. Dd was totally fine, ds had a nasty reaction and has since been diagnosed with a peanut allergy.

Original poster
FartnissEverbeans · 08/02/2017 10:18

ladyvimes I think if they have an allergy they have an allergy regardless of when you start

That's not what he research seems to suggest though - that's why I'm trying to read as much as I can about it.

heirhelp He's already on Zantac. I wasn't planning on weaning for reflux reasons really, although some people have said it helps. He isn't in pain with it and is gaining plenty of weight so it's not an emergency.

welshweasel That sounds like the kind of approach I was planning - didn't help with the reflux then?

mummytime I'm in the Middle East and the doctors are of variable quality here. My usual paediatrician trained in the U.K. But today's wasn't my usual one. I didn't even ask her about weaning - he was in for vaccinations! But although she might be getting her advice from an outdated source, it seems like the lost up to date sources are recommending earlier weaning, at least when it comes to certain foods.

AlfietheRailwayCat Do you have any links regarding digestive issues?

OP posts:
Original poster
FartnissEverbeans · 08/02/2017 10:20

welshweasel DID it help, not didn't help! Typo

OP posts:
amysmummy12345 · 08/02/2017 10:25

Zantac is just the brand name for ranitidine.

Original poster
FartnissEverbeans · 08/02/2017 10:40

Yes I know that thanks

OP posts:
welshweasel · 08/02/2017 11:55

Yes it helped a lot. He was off ranitidine within a month. I'm a doctor and did a lot of reading around the subject and even if he hadn't had reflux I'd have started weaning at 5 months. He took to it really well and was on 3 meals a day within a couple of weeks, we did a mixture of spoon fed and finger food and still do that now at 12 months. He's always liked strong flavours, we didn't bother with baby rice etc. The only thing we avoided until recently was honey.

AlfieTheRailwayCat · 08/02/2017 14:02

I was just going on the NHS advice re digestion. www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/Pages/solid-foods-weaning.aspx

This is interesting for allergy research www.espghan.org/fileadmin/user_upload/guidelines_pdf/con_28.pdf

amysmummy12345 · 08/02/2017 14:27

Sorry was pointing that out to heir who said Gaviscon was Zantac 😊

Original poster
FartnissEverbeans · 08/02/2017 14:37

amysmummy Sorry, that makes sense! Grin

Alfie Thanks for the article, it does look interesting - going to have a read now Smile

It does seem to be at odds with the NHS guidance though - why is that?

welshweasel Thanks for your input - I feel a bit more confident that we're going on the right direction and that I'm not crazy for agonizing so much over it! I need a pfb emoticon Grin Do you have any idea why the NHS guidance says six months on milk exclusively?

OP posts:
anotherdayanothersquabble · 08/02/2017 14:41

The research regarding early introduction of potential allergens excluded the most risky candidates from the research. My DS was allergic before weaning (traces in breastmilk) and I suspect he was allergic in the womb, he would have been excluded from the research. He had reflux, eczema, poor bowel movements, was an obvious candidate to take things slowly with.

I would also like to see long term health outcomes for those children who need to have a small amount of peanuts every day to reduce the risk of a serious reaction.

The advice to no longer avoid peanuts in pregnancy changed because the previous advice didn't result in a reduction in allergies.

This is not hard and fast science and you should tread carefully. You already have a child who has gut issues and these are linked to allergies.