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As a parent, the thought of our children having a serious, life-threatening food allergy is so scary. Introducing allergenic foods to your baby can be nerve-racking because you don’t know if they will have a severe reaction or not. The good news is that early introduction can prevent food allergies in babies.
What are the most common food allergies in babies?
Any food can cause an allergic reaction, but here are the top 8 food allergies in babies (and people in general):
- Peanuts
- Eggs
- Dairy (cow’s milk)
- Tree Nuts
- Shellfish
- Wheat
- Soy
- Fish
What is a food allergy?
A food allergy is when a person’s immune system reacts to certain foods. It causes symptoms such as diarrhea, hives, eczema, itchiness or swollen airways.
Anaphylaxis is the most severe reaction. Its symptoms include vomiting, a drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and a weak pulse. It can be fatal if it is not treated immediately.
Fortunately, many babies and children outgrow food allergies as their digestive systems mature. Nut and shellfish allergies, however, tend to stay with a person for life.
What is the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?
A food allergy causes an immune system reaction, which can be very serious and sometimes fatal. If it is a true allergy, being exposed to a tiny amount can cause a reaction. For instance, someone with a peanut allergy could be affected if their food was prepared in the same area where peanuts were present (even if there are no actual peanuts in the food itself).
A food intolerance can cause a physical reaction to food as well, but is generally limited to digestive problems, and is usually not too serious. With a food intolerance, you can sometimes eat small amounts of the food and not have a reaction.
Who is at risk for food allergies?
Anyone can have a food allergy, but the people most at risk are:
- Children, mostly babies and toddlers. A baby’s digestive system takes time to mature, so young children often have reactions to food that they later outgrow.
- People with a family history of food allergies, eczema, hives, or asthma.
- People who have hay fever, eczema, or a particular food allergy, are at a higher risk of having additional allergies. For example, a child who is allergic to dairy, would be at a higher risk of also being allergic to wheat and soy.
- People who have asthma are at a higher risk of having food allergies. Asthma attacks often accompany a reaction to a food, making the reaction more severe.
Visit the mayoclinic.org to learn more about food allergies and food intolerance.
When should peanuts be introduced to babies?
Pediatricians used to recommend waiting to introduce peanuts and other allergenic foods until 1-3 years of age. They thought that prolonging the first contact would prevent allergic reactions. However, this was found to be untrue in more recent years.
The LEAP study (2015) showed that introducing peanuts to babies between 4-6 months of age resulted in a significant reduction of developing a peanut allergy. It concluded that early introduction to peanuts won’t prevent a peanut allergy in all children, but it will reduce a child’s risk by 81%.
As a result of this, the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology now recommends introducing peanuts to most babies between 6 months to 1 year of age.
For babies who are at a high risk for a peanut allergy (if it runs in the family, have severe eczema or have an egg allergy), peanuts should be introduced between 4-6 months of age. Pediatricians may recommend allergy testing, or to have the peanuts introduced in a medical setting for safety reasons.
What are safe ways to introduce peanuts to babies?
Peanuts and peanut butter are chocking hazards for a baby. Some safe ways to introduce peanuts to a baby are:
- mixing peanut powder or flour into a baby’s cereal or yogurt
- mixing a small amount of natural (unsweetened), smooth peanut butter into a baby’s cereal, yogurt, or fruit
The first introduction should be done at home. Give your baby a tiny bit of the peanut mixture, and wait about 5 minutes to see if there are any noticeable reactions before giving him any more.
Wait a few days to see if you notice any other visible reactions. If your baby doesn’t appear to have a reaction, continue to add it to your baby’s food on a regular basis.
When should other allergenic foods be introduced to babies?
The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology also recommends early introduction of the other allergenic foods. As in the case with peanuts, they believe introducing eggs, milk, tree nuts, shellfish, wheat, soy and fish between ages 6 months to a year will greatly reduce the risk of a future food allergy.
Here are some tips for introducing allergenic foods to babies:
- Allergenic foods should never be among your baby’s first foods. Start with basic foods like rice cereal and pureed fruits and vegetables to get your baby used to eating first.
- Cook fish, shellfish and eggs all the way through (well done).
- Prepare food in a way that does not present a choking hazard. (Smooth nut butters, pureed fish, scrambled eggs mashed into pureed vegetables, etc.)
- Once the food has been introduced and no allergic reactions presented themselves, continue to offer these foods to your baby on a regular basis.
Always consult your pediatrician before introducing new foods, especially highly allergenic foods.
