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Any food may cause an allergic reaction, but over 90% of food allergies in children are caused by just 7 common foods or food groups—milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, and sesame.
Offering these foods around 6 months of age can help to prevent food allergies. If you are concerned your baby might have an allergy to certain foods, always discuss your concerns with your clinician.
You can find more information here:
Introducing allergenic foods in general
- Wait at least one to three days between introducing new foods so that you can tell if a baby has an allergic-type reaction.
- Symptoms include rash, vomiting, facial swelling, cough, or diarrhea in response to any specific food. If your child has symptoms indicating allergy after being given a particular food, keep it out of the diet and discuss the symptoms with your child’s clinician.
- When offering eggs, make sure they are fully cooked (no runny yolk). Try mashed up boiled eggs or scrambled eggs broken into small pieces.
- Do not offer milk until your child is 12 months old. Cheese and yogurt can be offered sooner.
Introducing peanut
- Research about peanut allergies: Research shows offering a few times over the span of a week can help to prevent an allergy to peanuts.
- More information can be found here
- First, determine your baby’s risk of peanut allergy:
- Low risk: no eczema or other food allergy
- Moderate risk: mild to moderate eczema
- High risk: severe eczema or egg allergy
- If needed, consult your child’s pediatrician for help
- If your baby is at low risk, offer allergenic foods freely.
- If your baby is moderate risk (mild to moderate eczema): Try egg first. If your baby does fine with egg, then offer peanut around 6 months of age.
- If your baby is at high risk, discuss offering allergenic foods with your child’s pediatrician or allergy specialist.
- All babies should be introduced to peanuts before age one.
- Tips on introducing peanut:
- Thin out creamy peanut butter (no sugar added), with a bit of water or breast milk on bread or crackers.
- Offer the mixture plain or mixed with cereal or banana.
- Do not offer whole peanuts as they are a choking risk.
This publication was adapted from information within healthychildren.org and drnataliemuth.com
Reviewed by: NM M.D., AR D.O. | 12/2023