Should I wait to introduce allergens to my baby?
Sometimes it seems like you just can’t get a straight answer when this question is asked. Your pediatrician might have said to wait until 12 months to give eggs, but your best friend’s pediatrician said to introduce all the allergens right when starting solids. Then you saw on social media that someone was saying, “no, wait until 9 months.”
So, what are you supposed to ACTUALLY DO?
When answers are scattered like this, it’s best to do your own digging and see what the research says. As a mom and a professional, I do this myself and recommend that all parents do this, too! You’ll be more confident in your choices if you have some reputable information to back it up.
My go-to website for allergen research is Mission MightyMe.
They have a whole tab on their website with research articles about introducing allergens. Their co-founder, Dr. Gideon Lack, is a pediatrician who has spent his career researching allergen introduction.
He performed the first large-scale clinical trial on early peanut introduction, and it showed that sustained peanut consumption in high-risk infants that started between 4 - 11 months and continued until age 5, reduced the rate of peanut allergy by more than 80%.
Dr. Lack’s research is the best evidence we have to make recommendations on introducing peanuts.
So, the general recommendation is to introduce peanuts and tree nuts early and often for the best chance of decreasing the risk of developing food allergies.
What about other allergens?
Dr. Lack also performed that EAT study: 1,300 babies with no risk factors who were given 6 allergens (peanut, egg, milk, white fish, sesame and wheat) from 3-6 months of age until age 3.
Results revealed a 67% reduction in egg allergy and a 100% reduction in peanut allergy in children who consumed sufficient amounts of these foods.
Another study of 147 infants with eczema who were fed cooked egg powder in gradually increasing doses from 4-10 months, while also undergoing aggressive eczema treatment, showed early egg exposure reduced the risk of egg allergy by 79%.
Based on the LEAP and EAT studies, guidelines around the globe changed to recommend introducing peanuts, tree nuts and other common allergens once an infant is ready for solid food.
What about introducing dairy?
Using data from more than 2,100 Canadian children, researchers found that infants who avoided cow’s milk products in their first year were nearly four times as likely to be sensitized to cow’s milk compared to infants who consumed cow’s milk products before 12 months of age.
Similarly, infants who avoided egg or peanut in their first year were nearly twice as likely to be sensitized to those foods compared to infants who consumed them before 12 months of age.
Across all major allergens, the recommendation is to start them as early as 4-6 months for the best chance of decreasing the risk for food allergies.
When is my child ready to start solids?
It is important to couple this allergen information with a child’s readiness for starting solids.
While some research included infants as young as 3 months of age, that does NOT mean that all 3 month olds should be eating foods (even in powdered form). There was a large age range across all of these research studies, so let’s take ALL the information we have about introducing allergens and readiness for starting solids and combine them!
We know that most little ones have ALL the readiness signs of starting solids AROUND 6 months of age. Some are fully ready a little before their half-birthday and some are ready a little later. And that is ok. No two babies are the same.
The answers to these questions should be “YES” in order for your little one to start solids:
Has your pediatrician given you the go ahead to start solids?
Is your little one able to push up on palms during tummy time?
Does your child have good head control and neck strength?
Can your little one sit up with support for 8- 10 minutes?
Can your little one sit up unsupported for about 3-5 minutes?
Does your little one bring teethers and toys to their mouth?
Does your child watch you eat with interest?
With all of this information, the recommendation is to introduce allergens when your baby is ready to start solids!
So, answer those questions, talk with your pediatrician, and get to introducing allergens early and consistently.
Why I Choose Mission MightyMe
For peanut and tree nut introduction and (importantly) keeping nuts in the diet regularly, Mission MightyMe’s Peanut and Tree Nut Puffs are my favorite. Each Organic Puff is over 50% nuts!
Crush down and add to a puree or give to baby whole once their pincer grasp comes in!
I love that they dissolve on contact with saliva and are great for new chewers and toddlers, too! EAT20 saves 20% on their website.
This blog post was sponsored by Mission MightyMe.