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Newly Published Guidelines Suggest Starting Peanuts Early

Posted On: 01-20-2017
Newly Published Guidelines Suggest Starting Peanuts Early
New guidelines have been published this week by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) that suggest parents give their babies small doses of peanuts in order to prevent the allergy from developing later.

More specifically, most children should try peanuts by the time they are six months old, with regular doses afterward as long as no allergic reaction surfaces. If a child is already considered high risk for a peanut allergy, they should be evaluated in a specialist’s office. A high risk child would be one who has an egg allergy or severe eczema (not a family history).

According to Dr. Matthew Greenhawt, allergy specialist at Children’s Hospital of Colorado, all children should be introduced to peanut because there is a window of time where peanut is not recognized as dangerous by the immune system. This window of time happens early in life.

Previous guidelines recommended that peanuts be avoided until three years of age for children who are at risk of the allergy. However, the new guidelines focus on “training” the immune system to avoid a dangerous overreaction later. In a statement, NIAID Director Dr. Tony Fauci indicated that by helping to prevent peanut allergies, lives could be saved and healthcare costs could be lowered.

Parents are reminded that babies should never be given whole peanuts due to choking risks. Even large amounts of peanut butter can be dangerous for children, so start with small amounts of peanut butter or powder.

Parents should also be watching their baby for a sign of intolerance, such as rash, vomiting, wheezing, coughing, or looking lethargic.

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