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Can Early Exposure Fix Food Allergies? - Web MD
First: New parents should wait to introduce peanuts to children until they were past infancy to lower the risk of a negative reaction. Second: If a reaction did happen, and an allergy was confirmed through testing, the only safe measure for the 80% of kids who never outgrow this food aversion was strict avoidance of peanuts -- for life.
While everyone agrees that a peanut allergy can trigger anaphylaxis -- hives, respiratory distress, vomiting, and, in some cases, even death -- guidelines are evolving on the other fronts, says Maria Garcia-Lloret, MD, a professor of pediatric allergy and immunology and co-director of the UCLA food allergy clinic.
"We now believe peanuts, which are not actually nuts but are legumes, should be given to babies as early as 4 months, when solids are first introduced," she says. "It should not be the very first food a parent gives; I suggest mixing a little bit of peanut butter in some oatmeal. However -- and this is critical -- babies with eczema and other established food allergies are considered high-risk. For those kids, introduction to peanuts should be carefully monitored under the guidance of a pediatrician."
First: New parents should wait to introduce peanuts to children until they were past infancy to lower the risk of a negative reaction. Second: If a reaction did happen, and an allergy was confirmed through testing, the only safe measure for the 80% of kids who never outgrow this food aversion was strict avoidance of peanuts -- for life.
While everyone agrees that a peanut allergy can trigger anaphylaxis -- hives, respiratory distress, vomiting, and, in some cases, even death -- guidelines are evolving on the other fronts, says Maria Garcia-Lloret, MD, a professor of pediatric allergy and immunology and co-director of the UCLA food allergy clinic.
"We now believe peanuts, which are not actually nuts but are legumes, should be given to babies as early as 4 months, when solids are first introduced," she says. "It should not be the very first food a parent gives; I suggest mixing a little bit of peanut butter in some oatmeal. However -- and this is critical -- babies with eczema and other established food allergies are considered high-risk. For those kids, introduction to peanuts should be carefully monitored under the guidance of a pediatrician."