Reducing the Risk of Food Allergy: Key Information Health Professionals Can Share with Parents

Emerging research has changed the way experts think about food allergies in infancy. Introducing certain allergenic foods, such as peanut and egg, early in a baby’s diet may reduce the risk of developing an allergy to those foods.

This overview outlines what parents and caregivers should know about timing, preparation, and safety when introducing potential allergens, based on current evidence and expert recommendations.

When Should I Introduce Potential Food Allergens?
Early introduction of peanut and egg may reduce your child’s risk of developing allergies to those foods.¹ Potential allergens should be introduced around 6 months of age, depending on a child’s specific risk factors. Evidence does not support withholding potential allergens like milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soy to prevent food allergies.^1,2

Is My Child at Risk for Food Allergies?
The following are generally accepted as key risk factors for developing a food allergy: severe eczema, first-degree relative with allergies, existing food allergy. If your baby has any of these risk factors, talk to your doctor about introducing potential allergens between 4-6 months, especially peanut.^3,5

How Do I Introduce Potential Food Allergens to My Infant?
All foods should be fed to a baby in a form appropriate to their development and under supervision. Purees, thinned pastes, and well-cooked and soft forms are just a few ways to easily introduce foods. Once successfully introduced, potential allergens should continue to be fed.

Tips for Introduction⁴

1. Feed when baby is healthy with no fever or signs of illness.
2. Introduce new foods early in the day before a nap, so you can observe for 2 hours.
3. Wait 2 to 3 days between introducing a new potential allergen.
4. Try a small amount of food on the tip of a spoon. Wait 10 minutes and feed more if there are no signs of a reaction with the goal of 2 teaspoons of the allergen.
5. Stop feeding baby and seek medical care if signs of a reaction are seen: hives, vomiting, coughing, swelling of the mouth, wheezing, lethargy.

If you have questions about introducing potential allergens to your child, speak to your pediatrician.

Early Introduction: What’s on the Menu?

Here are some ideas for safely feeding baby:

• Peanut butter thinned with breastmilk or formula
• Mashed, cooked egg yolk with infant cereal
• Baked muffin with egg and peanut butter
• Once your baby has successfully enjoyed peanut and egg separately, check out these four simple recipes to introduce eggs and peanut butter to infants.

To easily share this information with your patients and clients, check out our Food Allergy Parent Guide.

For more on introducing peanut foods: preventpeanutallergies.org
For information on all food allergens: babysfirst.org