Interesting research, and I really hope that this IS the way to reducing the number of kids with PN/TN allergies.
But as a mom of one of these kids, and after seeing your first react...the thought of introducing peanut butter at such a young age is terrifying. Honestly, I haven't had peanut butter, a nut, or any foods containing them since DS was diagnosed, we just don't keep them in the house. Because such a small amount of the protein can trigger an anaphylactic reaction, it just isn't worth the risk.
Luckily, DS has his annual test at the allergist next week (positive thoughts that he passes with no reactions and we can try a food exposure!), and I plan on asking a lot of questions on how to introduce to LO without putting DS at risk.
We started giving DD peanut butter at 6 months by melting it into her baby oatmeal cereal. No family history of nut allergy but it was still scary! She is fine and still gets it every day, usually on her breakfast pancakes bc she goes to a nut free daycare.
I didn't click on the article but our ped told us to try peanuts before my DD was one and I was shocked at the time. I remember trying it with a bottle of benedryl on the counter.
She did have an allergic reaction to a strawberry smoothie once and it was super scary. We had her tested for strawberry allergy and it came back negative so we never knew what in the smoothie caused it and she hasn't had any other issues since.
+1 for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!!! DH sent me that article yesterday. In a way it makes sense, like how kids that grow up with pets are less likely to be allergic to them.
I feed my kids anything and everything right from the start. That's partly how we noticed my daughter's allergies. We had an inkling when I had to remove certain foods from my diet while breastfeeding as she would have terrible reactions. She has tested + for a few food allergies (egg, fish and shellfish with an added milk intolerance for shits and giggles) and goes in Monday for environmental testing, but even still we try to provide those foods in a more tolerable format if possible. For example, while she can't tolerate egg in its raw form (eg scrambled eggs), she does OK with it in select baked goods. The allergist agrees to keep doing that when possible so her body learns how to handle the foods through exposure. Fish and shellfish may prove more more problematic, but we start food challenges at their office this month which makes me feel better given we're exposing her in a safer environment. We have an epi at home and daycare so everyone is on high alert after her meals.
@Wearmi1 Our allergist says no. I asked because I ate cashews often, and peanut butter by the spoonful just about every day of the 3rd tri. I was beside myself, thinking that I did this to him.
@Wearmi1 I'm a nut freak and ate tons of foods/spreads with nuts during both pregnancies and both of my kids are fine with nuts. Good thing because all DD can drink is almond milk so cow's milk is a no go! Our allergist/nutritionist is not a fan of soy or the other alternatives.
Yessss. The pendulums always swing back. That being said, I have anaphylaxes to tree nuts so I've always been paranoid with DS. He had a weird 1x reaction to peanut butter at around 12 months. Ped is all for early exposure but because of my background and his one slight reaction (redness around mouth/coughing) she told me to hold off again. I tried a tiny bit a month or so ago and he seemed fine...I'm terrified to do it again, but know I have to. Ugh. Maybe in the ER parking lot?
Our pediatrician encouraged us to try foods earlier if no family history. She also said to give potential allergens like nuts and eggs frequently bc exposure can help build tolerances. My FIL has a shellfish allergy so we waited until DS was 18 months and then gave him clam chowder. Luckily no issues.
I saw this on the news last night and it's very interesting. I'm not allergic to peanuts, but I don't love them -- my hubs can sit and eat a bag of peanuts and can eat spoonfuls of PB at a time, but I just have an aversion to the taste. Since getting pregnant, he's been encouraging me to eat more peanut products in the event that my eating peanuts helps the baby not have a peanut allergy. I'm not sure if this is true or not...my mother is a vegetarian and didn't eat an ounce of fish when she was pregnant with me, but I'm not allergic to shell fish (for example).
So whether or not it actually helps for the mom to consume the (potential) allergen while pregnant, I'm now putting the tiniest spoonfuls of PB in my morning breakfast shakes
@acrose0226 I ate tons of fish, eggs and dairy during my pregnancy with DD, but she is allergic or intolerant to all of them. I don't think eating foods during pregnancy has an impact based on my population of 1 study. If you really don't like the taste of nuts, I say don't put yourself through that as there doesn't seem to be a guarantee.
Interesting research, and I really hope that this IS the way to reducing the number of kids with PN/TN allergies.
But as a mom of one of these kids, and after seeing your first react...the thought of introducing peanut butter at such a young age is terrifying. Honestly, I haven't had peanut butter, a nut, or any foods containing them since DS was diagnosed, we just don't keep them in the house. Because such a small amount of the protein can trigger an anaphylactic reaction, it just isn't worth the risk.
Luckily, DS has his annual test at the allergist next week (positive thoughts that he passes with no reactions and we can try a food exposure!), and I plan on asking a lot of questions on how to introduce to LO without putting DS at risk.
ETA: words are hard at 3 am.
Hi! Lurker from May17. We have an older daughter with severe egg and fish allergies- the egg is so bad that we can't cook it in our house! When husband was off work for a week for Christmas break, he took younger daughter over to gramma's house to try eggs every morning! Then he gave her a quick wash, clothes changed and teeth brushed before he brought her back! So, now we know she doesn't have the allergy, even if she may never have eggs again, ha! If you have someone you really trust to recognize the allergic reaction beginning, and a place for them to go like that (I wouldn't want to test it in a restaurant!) maybe that's something you could try! (Or, if you have someone you could trust to watch your older one while you try with your younger one.) hope all goes well at the allergist's for you!
We had an accidental exposure (thanks, MIL) around 10 months, and I freaked, but both of my girls were fine. We ate it from there on out, and we will probably do the same again this time around.
Married 7/11/09 TTC #1 Since 05/10 BFP #1 09/20/10 Natural m/c 10/05/10 BFP! #2 04/21/11... Beta 16 DPO: 437, 18 DPO:1446 Ultrasound 6w6d TWINS! Annabel & Sophia Born 11/28/11 at 34w6d BFP #3 10/4/16... Beta 13 DPO: 145, 15 DPO: 367 12/1/16 It's a GIRL!
Interesting research, and I really hope that this IS the way to reducing the number of kids with PN/TN allergies.
But as a mom of one of these kids, and after seeing your first react...the thought of introducing peanut butter at such a young age is terrifying. Honestly, I haven't had peanut butter, a nut, or any foods containing them since DS was diagnosed, we just don't keep them in the house. Because such a small amount of the protein can trigger an anaphylactic reaction, it just isn't worth the risk.
Luckily, DS has his annual test at the allergist next week (positive thoughts that he passes with no reactions and we can try a food exposure!), and I plan on asking a lot of questions on how to introduce to LO without putting DS at risk.
ETA: words are hard at 3 am.
True, but they don't just suggest stuffing your next kid's face with peanuts if you already have an allergic one. High risk kids should do it in a doctors office, and if you already have one with an allergy, you should talk to a pediatrician about introducing peanuts safely.
@lovesclimbing I could totally be misunderstanding, but it looks to me like the "at risk" kids only include ones with severe eczema and an egg allergy, not siblings of allergic kids...which surprised me. Like I said, I'll be talking to our allergist on safe ways to do it next week. In my experience, pediatricians aren't quite as up to date or careful, even, with food allergies.
@Squirtgun Thanks for the suggestion! That's totally do-able for us, we have family who lives within 10 minutes of us.
ABC had a special about a year ago where they were promoting early introductions but it came with a 'those with no family history'.
My son has an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts. We have no family history of food allergies on either side.
We found it because our pediatrician told us not to restrict anything and I almost killed my child while he was an infant. Let that sink in, I almost killed my infant! I can get into more details for those that want it but here is the rub...
These articles and recommendations should take the opportunity to educate people on symptoms of anaphylaxis and what to do in the event it happens... so careless in my opinion to just tell people to do something but not prepare them for how to handle if they are in the exception group for when it goes wrong.
Interesting. I've actually wondered about this for a few years, since allergy shots just inject allergins under you skin. Either way, 4 months is really young to be giving any foods since some studies show those tiny digestive tracts just aren't ready yet, and claim that early introduction can actually cause allergies. Life would be a lot easier if the medical world was a little more unified in stuff like this.
@michaela0704 yes that's what I've been thinking. It's easy to say introduce early when you haven't had that terrifying experience. I also had no family history, ate tons of potential allergens when pregnant and breastfeeding and still had an near deadly reaction with my 7 month old.
@Allybiery it really is terrifying! Also, one thing people don't know is that children under 2 tend to have false negatives on skin testing... so my son had skin testing at 6 months which said no food allergies even though he had severe eczema. So we didn't restrict any foods... well, his peanut was CLEARLY a false negative and I still am kicking myself as I saw him in anaphylaxis but my husband and I kept convincing each other he was ok and just had choked on it as it can be a choking hazard for young kids... I was not educated, and had I been, I would've called 911!!
The recommendation is for pediatricians as much as it is for parents, and the pediatricians should definitely be educating parents about what symptoms to look for if at risk kids are trying at home.
I introduced it to my 3rd child at 5 months just by rubbing a little bit on the inside of her cheek once a week.
TTC#1 for 19 months with PCOS and MFI IUI#3 + injectables = BFP!!!! Beta#1-134(13dpiui) Beta #2-392(15dpiui) #1 born December 2011
TTC#2 - Beta #1 -51@10dpo Beta#2 -1353 @16dpo #2 born May 2013
TTC # 3 June 2014 BFP 12-1-14
#3 born August 2015 #4!!!!!!! due June 2017
@mrt I hear that, but my son wasn't at risk... now I will consider this child to be at risk due to having a sibling with severe food allergies but last time around, no family history of food allergies on either side.
My bigger issue on doctor side is that they don't really talk to parents/caregivers about ALL purposes of food introduction. Not only is it to expand their palate and to get them to eat different solid foods... BUT you are looking out for food sensitivities, intolerances, and allergies. The majority of parents I know that aren't educated about allergies don't get that aspect of food introductions, regardless of risk level, and are at risk to a certain extent as one of their children or a child in their care could eat something new, have a reaction, and they wouldn't understand the potential severity.
Well. I gave peanut butter a go again today for the 4th/5th time annnnnnd, definite allergy. Ugh. Hives on the hand that he was wiping is tongue with, hives around mouth. A little raspy but not the full blown anaphylaxis I am use to when I have exposure to tree nuts.
@devow27 I'm sorry Hope he's feeling better soon. That's terrible about your allergies, too, but at least he has a knowledgeable mom to advocate for his needs!
For posters that mentioned doctors and what they talk about and what they don't talk about, how do you know what doctors talk about? You may know what your doc talks about and maybe some friends that compare notes, but how do you know what my doctor has talked about?
I think it's about what the parents educate themselves on as well. We can't blame everything on doctors. We have seen bith sides of the research and it's up to us to decide. I feel you should have your own opinion and not just what your doctor says.
So what would be the difference in introducing the nuts at 6mths compared to a year? You still have to be prepared for the same. And as a parent, YOU should have enough sense to say "ok I'm going to introduce this food, I need to know what to do to start and what to do in case of an emergency!"
@Wino0920 totally get where you are coming from... my comment on doctors is based on my experience and those shared from both allergy and non-allergy parents... I never said no doctors share the information, or parents should blindly follow doctors without thinking through things yourself and never seek additional knowledge as needed. Sounds like your doctor must be top notch and provide all aspects of all milestones to allow you to make educated and informed decisions.
My comment obviously doesn't apply to all doctors, but I see very little in my own research and my experience with doctors about the risks of anaphylaxis associated with food introductions.
We all have to learn as we go as parents but allergies is a serious topic that I feel should be shared by doctors more proactively than has been my and many of my friends' experiences. As we see more and more children with allergies, obviously there will be more and more caregivers that aren't knowledgeable. IMO I think it is an opportunity for the medical community that care for our children to better help their caregivers take better care of them is all... it's not their fault, I don't blame them, just a gap I've noticed.
@Wino0920 Not sure if your post was directed at me, but I'll respond since I did mention pediatricians.
I thought I was being clear when I said "it's been my experience..." because I have no idea what other pedis say. I felt our pedi didn't have much experience in the area because I called them to tell them what I was seeing, and they said they doubted it was an allergic reaction. In both of our defense, it was "only" hives...huge ones. So maybe the pedi was thinking if it's not a respiratory reaction, it might not be an allergy. Which is what I was thinking. Hives can be caused by stress, viruses, etc...
Looking back, I guess I was naive to convince myself it might not be an allergy. Hindsight is 20/20. I wasn't by any means uneducated on the topic...sometimes reactions look different than you think or read they will.
ETA: I don't blame our pedi for a thing. They've always been wonderful, knowledgeable, and supportive. I just feel our allergist (obviously) has more knowledge in this area and could have told us that just because his reaction was limited to 1 system doesn't discount a serious allergy.
I've heard of moms who drive to the hospital or near (like a park) and give their babies peanut butter, strawberries and pretty much anything that could possibly result in a reaction.
Ugh take 2 on this response - hopefully this goes through!
My pedi recommends we start solids around 4-6 months, but start with one veggie or fruit at a time. to monitor for reactions. She had us introduce peanut butter as we introduced finger foods closer to 10-12 months. Worked great with both kids so we plan to do the same for #3. By worked great I mean the process... With DD's allergies we learned quite a lot about signs and symptoms. We also learned the difference between intolerance and allergy since she has issues in both departments. We are lucky as none of her allergies have "severe" symptoms at this point (meaning breathing).
Had her environmental allergy test today though and she passed everything! Yesssss. Just stuck with some creative cooking situations on the food allergy front.
Re: PSA: Feed your kid peanuts
But as a mom of one of these kids, and after seeing your first react...the thought of introducing peanut butter at such a young age is terrifying. Honestly, I haven't had peanut butter, a nut, or any foods containing them since DS was diagnosed, we just don't keep them in the house. Because such a small amount of the protein can trigger an anaphylactic reaction, it just isn't worth the risk.
Luckily, DS has his annual test at the allergist next week (positive thoughts that he passes with no reactions and we can try a food exposure!), and I plan on asking a lot of questions on how to introduce to LO without putting DS at risk.
ETA: words are hard at 3 am.
She did have an allergic reaction to a strawberry smoothie once and it was super scary. We had her tested for strawberry allergy and it came back negative so we never knew what in the smoothie caused it and she hasn't had any other issues since.
He had a weird 1x reaction to peanut butter at around 12 months. Ped is all for early exposure but because of my background and his one slight reaction (redness around mouth/coughing) she told me to hold off again. I tried a tiny bit a month or so ago and he seemed fine...I'm terrified to do it again, but know I have to. Ugh. Maybe in the ER parking lot?
DH: 29
DS: 18 months 4/2/2015
Baby #2 EDD: 6/1/2017
So whether or not it actually helps for the mom to consume the (potential) allergen while pregnant, I'm now putting the tiniest spoonfuls of PB in my morning breakfast shakes
Married 7/11/09 TTC #1 Since 05/10
BFP #1 09/20/10 Natural m/c 10/05/10
BFP! #2 04/21/11... Beta 16 DPO: 437, 18 DPO:1446 Ultrasound 6w6d TWINS!
Annabel & Sophia Born 11/28/11 at 34w6d
BFP #3 10/4/16... Beta 13 DPO: 145, 15 DPO: 367 12/1/16 It's a GIRL!
Here's another article you might be interested in about treating a peanut allergy by eating peanuts, amounts so minuscule at the beginning they don't trigger a reaction and then slowly increasing. https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-controversial-treatment-for-peanut-allergies-1455565119
@Squirtgun Thanks for the suggestion! That's totally do-able for us, we have family who lives within 10 minutes of us.
ABC had a special about a year ago where they were promoting early introductions but it came with a 'those with no family history'.
My son has an anaphylactic allergy to peanuts. We have no family history of food allergies on either side.
We found it because our pediatrician told us not to restrict anything and I almost killed my child while he was an infant. Let that sink in, I almost killed my infant! I can get into more details for those that want it but here is the rub...
These articles and recommendations should take the opportunity to educate people on symptoms of anaphylaxis and what to do in the event it happens... so careless in my opinion to just tell people to do something but not prepare them for how to handle if they are in the exception group for when it goes wrong.
Edit: mobile bumping is hard...
TTC#1 for 19 months with PCOS and MFI IUI#3 + injectables = BFP!!!! Beta#1-134(13dpiui) Beta #2-392(15dpiui)
#1 born December 2011
TTC#2 - Beta #1 -51@10dpo Beta#2 -1353 @16dpo
#2 born May 2013
TTC # 3 June 2014 BFP 12-1-14
#3 born August 2015
#4!!!!!!! due June 2017
My bigger issue on doctor side is that they don't really talk to parents/caregivers about ALL purposes of food introduction. Not only is it to expand their palate and to get them to eat different solid foods... BUT you are looking out for food sensitivities, intolerances, and allergies. The majority of parents I know that aren't educated about allergies don't get that aspect of food introductions, regardless of risk level, and are at risk to a certain extent as one of their children or a child in their care could eat something new, have a reaction, and they wouldn't understand the potential severity.
Sigh. Off to the allergist we go.
DH: 29
DS: 18 months 4/2/2015
Baby #2 EDD: 6/1/2017
DH: 29
DS: 18 months 4/2/2015
Baby #2 EDD: 6/1/2017
I think it's about what the parents educate themselves on as well. We can't blame everything on doctors. We have seen bith sides of the research and it's up to us to decide. I feel you should have your own opinion and not just what your doctor says.
So what would be the difference in introducing the nuts at 6mths compared to a year? You still have to be prepared for the same. And as a parent, YOU should have enough sense to say "ok I'm going to introduce this food, I need to know what to do to start and what to do in case of an emergency!"
My comment obviously doesn't apply to all doctors, but I see very little in my own research and my experience with doctors about the risks of anaphylaxis associated with food introductions.
We all have to learn as we go as parents but allergies is a serious topic that I feel should be shared by doctors more proactively than has been my and many of my friends' experiences. As we see more and more children with allergies, obviously there will be more and more caregivers that aren't knowledgeable. IMO I think it is an opportunity for the medical community that care for our children to better help their caregivers take better care of them is all... it's not their fault, I don't blame them, just a gap I've noticed.
I thought I was being clear when I said "it's been my experience..." because I have no idea what other pedis say. I felt our pedi didn't have much experience in the area because I called them to tell them what I was seeing, and they said they doubted it was an allergic reaction. In both of our defense, it was "only" hives...huge ones. So maybe the pedi was thinking if it's not a respiratory reaction, it might not be an allergy. Which is what I was thinking. Hives can be caused by stress, viruses, etc...
Looking back, I guess I was naive to convince myself it might not be an allergy. Hindsight is 20/20. I wasn't by any means uneducated on the topic...sometimes reactions look different than you think or read they will.
ETA: I don't blame our pedi for a thing. They've always been wonderful, knowledgeable, and supportive. I just feel our allergist (obviously) has more knowledge in this area and could have told us that just because his reaction was limited to 1 system doesn't discount a serious allergy.
My pedi recommends we start solids around 4-6 months, but start with one veggie or fruit at a time. to monitor for reactions. She had us introduce peanut butter as we introduced finger foods closer to 10-12 months. Worked great with both kids so we plan to do the same for #3. By worked great I mean the process... With DD's allergies we learned quite a lot about signs and symptoms. We also learned the difference between intolerance and allergy since she has issues in both departments. We are lucky as none of her allergies have "severe" symptoms at this point (meaning breathing).
Had her environmental allergy test today though and she passed everything! Yesssss. Just stuck with some creative cooking situations on the food allergy front.