How to Avoid Food Allergies: Start Early, Go Slow

More parents this year will be introducing peanuts to their babies because of new guidelines around allergy-inducing food. The number of people with peanut allergies has grown by 400 percent since 1997 and introducing peanuts early has proven to be preventive.

We used to think it was better to avoid peanuts. But recent studies show that if a child who is at risk of developing a peanut allergy is introduced to peanut butter between 4 and 11 months of age, it reduces his or her chance of being allergic.

However, infants with an existing food allergy or severe eczema should be tested by a doctor before trying peanuts.


Best Approach
Start small. If introducing peanut butter, for example, dissolve a tiny amount with formula, breast milk, or water. When introducing peanuts, eggs, shellfish and fish, don’t introduce any other food for three days so if your child has a reaction, you’ll know the cause.


Who is at Risk?
About 5 percent of people have a food allergy, while two percent react to peanuts.

If food allergies run in the family, the risk rises.
• If one parent has a food allergy, the chance the child will develop one increases by approximately 40 percent, compared to the overall population. (The child may not have the same food allergy as the parent.)
• If both parents have a food allergy, their child’s risk is increased almost two-fold, compared to the overall population.
• And if an older sibling has a known allergy, there’s a chance the infant will also have it.

If your child is at high risk, consult with your pediatrician before introducing foods that commonly cause allergic reactions. Allergies often arise within the first year or two of life, but children can grow out of food sensitivities before adulthood.


Signs of Allergic Reaction & What To Do
Symptoms of allergic reaction can begin within a couple minutes or even hours after ingesting the culprit food. Keep an eye out for these symptoms:

• Skin: hives, redness, swelling
• Mouth: itching, irritation, and lip, tongue, palate or throat swelling
• Intestinal: nausea, belly pain, cramping, vomiting, diarrhea
• Respiratory: coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath

If symptoms are mild, consult with your child’s pediatrician before offering that food again. Mild symptoms can turn severe. If the reaction is moderate to severe and/or life-threatening, call 911. When faced with anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that affects the entire body, it is important to receive immediate medical attention.

If necessary, you can identify allergies by getting tested. This can help determine how severe the allergies are and how best to manage them.



Javed Sheikh, MD, is a physician specializing in allergy and immunology at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles. He’s also the director of the Allergy and Immunology Fellowship Training Program at Kaiser Permanente.