Our doc said that since there really isn't any reason to chance it, why not wait until 2yrs to test the peanut butter. Since it's not a necessity, let's just hold off since erring on the side of caution can't hurt.
While I definitely am not in the habit nor have the desire to risk my kid's safety, I know that a ton of other kids have tried the PB by age 1. That doesn't mean that if they all jumped off a bridge, I would follow. But you know what I mean? Sure, great to err on the side of caution, but I can't help but feel a little ansy.
Our familiies have no peanut allergies. And actually, I just found out that DD's cousin has an extreme egg allergy, but we had been giving DD eggs since 6m. Oops.
Just wondering who else is in our boat.
Re: Who hasn't done PB yet?
I've caught myself accidentally giving her a taste of a PB cookie a couple weeks ago. Nothing happened. She also had french fries fried in peanut oil. Again, she is still alive.
The doc even went as far as to say we shouldn't give her honey nut cheerios bc he would not chance the peanut allergy.
Well - oopsies again. She had that a few times last year.
God I sound like a terrible mother with all these 'accidents'.
He's not a huge fan of it so he doesn't have it often, but he has had it.
BFP #2 03/08/11 EDD 11/16/11 DD Born on 11/04/11
BFP #3 08/29/12 EDD 05/06/13 M/C on 08/30/12
BFP #4 11/01/12 EDD 07/09/2013 M/C on 12/28/12
BFP #5 04/30/13 EDD 01/03/14 DS Born on 01/02/14
BFP #6 01/11/15 EDD 09/22/15 M/C 03/09/15
My doctor actually told us to not wait to give any foods to our child except for honey. So, we gave her everything. We just would give her new foods one at a time in case there were any reactions. She's been eating peanut butter since she was 6 months old and she loves it.
Personally, I think the longer you wait the more likely it is they will have an allergy. Their body won't know how to digest it.
If you have allergies in your family, it's different. But if not, then I'd say go for it.
This is my opinion, too. And yet I still haven't given DD PB yet b/c I'm paranoid about it.
I keep thinking about giving it to her and then it never feels like the "right time"....like I don't want to do it in the evening or on the weekend in case I have to call the doctor. I don't even know what kind of reaction I would see.....something right away with a rash or breathing? Something with her poop or digestive issues a bit later? Something that won't show up til after several feedings of it? Argh!
I don't know why I'm so paranoid.....we have no known food allergies on either side of the family and DD hasn't had any issue with anything yet. Maybe first thing Monday morning I'll give her some PB...
I am the same also. Ours has tried PB and loves it too:), and the only thing he really has not had is honey and strawberries. Our dr said he had the green light for pretty much anything though now.
Our pedi was more concerned about the choking hazard more then allergic reaction. But I just spread it really thin on whatever he is eating.
Baby Boy #2 is on the way!
Ah, strawberries....that reminds me....didn't someone say on this board that strawberries is one of the foods you are supposed to hold off on b/c it is "close" (somehow) to peanuts? Or the allergies sometimes map the same or something? I could be crazy, but I thought I remember some strawberry/peanut allergy tie.
With that said, DD LOVES strawberries, so since she has had no reaction to those, maybe there's a good chance she'll have no reaction to the peanut butter either.
we first introduced PB at 6 months. With the exception of honey we had no food restrictions. As others have mentioned, new studies suggest that the longer you wait the bigger risk you may have of developing a food allergy, especially PB (unless you have a family history). My other feeling was with something like PB if LO was going to have a reaction I would rather it happen when I'm present
We haven't and won't until he's 2. I've been playing it safe with food allergies, because we don't really know about family history. Also, DS has had mild reactions to eggs. We discussed it at his 1 year check up and the ped suggested waiting on nuts, strawberries, and trying eggs again until age 2, since it appears that his immune system is not ready for those foods.
Also, I just want to add that giving foods to kids earlier won't necessarily prevent them from having allergies. Allergic reactions happen because your immune system overreacts and fights substances in the food that would otherwise be harmless. It's common in babies/toddlers, because there immune systems may not be fully matured and able to tell the difference in what it should or shouldn't attack.
With DD1 I gave it right after she turned one. We have no history of allergies. I was actually more worried about the fact that it can be a choking hazard. She loved it and it has been a great source of protein for her, because she hates meat and veggies.
I am holding off until DD2's 15 month appointment on any high allergen foods. She is still allergic to milk and I worry about potential other allergies. I think allergy testing is our next step.
my read shelf:
This exactly. Our pedi only wanted us to withold honey and that was only until a year. His direct quote was "If he's going to be allergic to peanut butter, it doesn't matter if you give it to him now or two years from now."
If waiting longer could likely cause an allergy, why would some doctors believe in waiting?
I don't think I believe this. I agree with the theory that it's more of a relation to the immune system. While I think that doctors don't always agree with eachother, or even know what's best against a mother's instinct, I don't think that waiting is raising our chances of an allergy.
I haven't done any research but I have to believe that we wouldn't be given medical advise that would likely increase our chances of having a negative effect.
Glad to see we aren't the only ones that haven't tried PB.
Graceful - ur right. I'm sure she would be fine since I've had so many oopsies.
And as for any connection with strawberries, well, DD is a strawberry addict and so far no ill effects.
I have never heard of strawberries being close to peanuts. I am allergic to strawberries and have no issues with peanuts. Neither of my allergists ever mentioned the need to avoid peanuts because of strawberries. If anyone's LO has a strawberry allergy, you may want to avoid peaches and nectarines as they are close to strawberries; I react to them even though I don't show up as allergic to them on allergy tests.
BFP #2 03/08/11 EDD 11/16/11 DD Born on 11/04/11
BFP #3 08/29/12 EDD 05/06/13 M/C on 08/30/12
BFP #4 11/01/12 EDD 07/09/2013 M/C on 12/28/12
BFP #5 04/30/13 EDD 01/03/14 DS Born on 01/02/14
BFP #6 01/11/15 EDD 09/22/15 M/C 03/09/15
I could be totally wrong. Maybe it was a thread about allergies and someone brought up that strawberries were sometimes on the list of things to avoid til X age so I lumped it with peanuts? IDK. I just remember talk of strawberries and allergies. Here I go spreading strange made up info again. Oooops.
But to address the idea that delaying intro causes the allergy, here is my interpretation of where that's coming from: I think there is some consensus that the rise in allergies/asthma is due to us living in a cleaner society. That at an early age, the body takes all these germs and allergens in stride and can file it away like "oh, this is cat dander, no danger here" "oh, this is X, it seems safe". I think there is finite window when the body does most of this processing. The idea is that if a child is not exposed to pets/dirt/germs/etc, when they come into contact with it later, the body freaks out. (Obviously this is not true for everyone......some people don't interact with a cat (for example) until they are 50 and still have no reaction....and some people are exposed to cats since birth and are still allergic....but I think the idea is early exposure helps the body understand. I think this is why statistically people who live out on a farm have very low allergies.)
So I think the idea with peanuts (and any potential allergen) is that if the body isn't introduced to it during the meet-and-greet phase, it *could* (hypothetically) be "too late" and then later the body is like "what the eff is this?!?" and thus an allergic reaction.
As I said, there are some people who will be allergic to X from day 1, no matter what. But I think it's an interesting theory that early exposure helps.
Also, I think there was a study in Israel (???) where there is no such common "restriction" on when to introduce peanut products and most people there are introduced to peanut products at a young age and the rate of peanut allergies is really, really low.
Anyway.....sorry for the not fact checked rambling. I'm not trying to say that if you don't give your kid X by age Y he will have an allergy, I was just trying to give a little insight to why I have my opinion. And I totally don't judge if you and/or your doctor recommend holding off. As I mentioned earlier, I haven't introduced peanuts yet. And if I had allergies in the family, I'd be even more cautious! So obviously, I hope everyone does what they are comfortable with. Allergies - esp food allergies - can be really scary! (I was dining out with someone with a nut allergy and the waitress was an absolute and complete moron about it. After repeatedly asking about a dessert (even after the dessert arrived and he smelled it and thought there were nuts) and being told it had no nuts in it, after taking a bite, my friend knew differently. Her response: "Oh? It does have almond extract in it....is that a problem?" !?!?!?!?!)
Very good response, Natty!
I totally agree with you, sans research and all. lol.
I also think that introducing things sooner rather than later could help, but I just don't know if I believe that waiting raises the likelihood of an allergy occuring. Does that make sense to believe in one way and not the other? Ah well. I'm sure she'd be fine with everything but like pp said, I'd do it on the weekend and in the morning when I can keep an eye on her.
As for the restaurant/waiter situation...I can guarantee the entire place would have heard me tell them what a problem it was. WOW!!!!!!!!!!
I have also read/heard that there is new evidence to support that holding off on high-allergen foods is what is causing a rise in allergies, but because it is still relatively new research many doctors still advocate waiting.
However I haven't introduced PB to DD yet because we were waiting until after her first birthday but then with it so close to the holidays, traveling, teething, and her being sick it just never seemed like a good time. We will probably do it whenever she ever cuts these new teeth she is working on (she gets extremely picky about food/eating when she is teething so I never intro new foods)
DS born via unplanned C-section at 40w6d
My doctor said the same thing. We haven't given DS peanut butter yet. We have given him honey nut Cheerios and he's been fine