Peanut during weanin

[FartnissEverbeans]

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 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!

I don't think it's totally at odds, it says earliest to start is 17weeks and you should definitely have started by 26. I suppose that depends on particular babies and their conditions but most babies should be exclusively milk until 6 months. They do talk about each allergy or autoimmune disease in detail which I thought may be helpful.

I did not know that. Every day is a school day.

The most interesting thing was about the introduction of Gluten - that message really needs to get out there, as I know so many people who treat Gluten as a poison and introduce it as late as possible.

I thought that too mummytime lots of the baby snacks are all advertised as gluten free.

I think the theory about introducing alergens early between 4-6m is theory of immunity window and only applies for breastfeed babies. But it is controversial. However it talks only about giving trace amounth of food, not actually feeding.
Generally the idea is that it is better that alergens ( including gluten) are introduced while baby is under protection of breastmilk.
In either case I personally would not want my child to be a lab animal so i dont think giving peanuts as one of the foods is great idea at all.
I think it is better to be more sensible, their immunity is just developing.
Peanuts are also exotic produce. You might want to start with some local nuts what would be more gentle.
There are some theories that feeding baby and children exotic products is actually the culprit in many alergies, intolerances, eczemas and other issues which are on the rise.
In the first couple of years it is better to stick with simple fresh, local good quality foods.

Zahrah Thanks for your input, but I think the advice is aimed at all children, not just breastfed ones. The American Academy of Paediatrics has changed their guidance on feeding for all American children following this research - my baby wouldn't be a 'lab rat' because the tests have already been done. Some scientists are even arguing that the advice to exclusively breastfeed until six months is responsible for the current allergy epidemic - it's nothing to do with the protective power of breastmilk (some evidence suggests that exclusively breastfed babies are slightly more likely to develop allergies to cow's milk protein as they haven't been exposed to it, which is the same sort of thing). Also we don't live in the U.K. so we don't really have 'local nuts'

mummytime and Alfie That's a good point re: gluten free products for babies.

anotherdayanothersquabble Thanks for this - it sounds like you and your poor DS have had a hard time . However, when I look at the LEAP study, it seems like the subjects were children at high risk of allergy - children with severe eczema, for example. I don't know how long term the study was but clearly paediatricians have found it compelling enough to advise that governments change their official guidance. Has reflux been linked to allergies? If so I would really like to read about it as that would factor into my decision - do you have any links?

Thanks for contributing everyone

Hi Fartniss

Yes I understand the tests were done etc, but my point about being a lab rat is more about not being extreme in neither direction and taking all research and changing advices with a bit grain of salt. The advice which used to be valid is changing and will change again and again and again. For each study or research done you can find opposing study.

I think if you look at statistics you can see that counties with lowest breastfeeding rates have highest children allergy rates, UK being leader in both followed by US. Babies have been exclusively breasteed for thousands of years and I dont know how breastfeeding can be linked to current allergy epidemic? It is interesting theory.

Re: gluten

It is not a poison but certainly it is not healthy, at least not in the quantity consumed in todays western diet so it could be treated as such together with refined sugar.

It is better to choose naturally glutten free grains over wheat., especially for young children as it is hard to digest and could lead to gut problems in later life.
You can look up what is naturally gluten free and include that into rotation of what pasta, porridge etc you are offering.

Zahrah

my point about being a lab rat is more about not being extreme in neither direction and taking all research and changing advices with a bit grain of salt.

Well I definitely agree with you on that. That's why I'm trying to piece together what I can and come to my own conclusions, but there's a lot of conflicting advice out there as we all know!

I haven't looked much into allergies/breastfeeding links TBH - I'm not bf so it's not that relevant to me. But I think the argument is that British and US children are sensitized to food allergens through their skin (as it's still a part of their parents' diet) but don't have the opportunity to build tolerance because we don't feed these substances to them as per the guidelines. It's not that bf causes allergies (the cow's milk protein one was interesting, though we are talking about tiny numbers), just that the advice to give no solids at all before six months means children aren't encountering these foodstuffs to build a tolerance to them. So it's the guidelines that are at fault really.

But I don't think that's the advice anymore, from the sounds of things...

OP. The LEAP study did exclude the most severely allergic children.

A simple google will show lots of links between infant reflux and food allergies.

There has been a huge amount of research about why milk only until 6 months...

And yes, the introducing gluten early stages that introducing while breastfed and introducing slowly seems to be the biggest factora in reducing allergies and it is unclear how the early timing impacts the risk but it seems prudent to introduce early.

I think you are reading what you want to from this research .. which is fine, if your child is fine and generally the risks are low as a population. If your child is high risk (mine is), you have to read the research carefully.

My ds1 was solely breastfed for 6mths.
Upon weaning we discovered he was allergic to cows milk. I think he had it from birth. I don't think I could have done anything to prevent it

anotherdayanothersquabble I'm not reading what I want into the research - or at least I'm trying not to - I was genuinely asking you because I hadn't heard about the links with reflux before and I think it would be sensible to find out more. I wasn't being facetious and I am thankful that you've commented because I'm sure, given your circumstances, that you've spent a lot more time looking this up than I have.