Parents, families and medical experts are shifting gears on diets for infants, now that new guidelines have been issued about ways to avoid peanut allergies.
This week the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published new recommendations providing guidance about how to safely introduce young children to peanuts at an early age.
“Recommendations in the past have included delaying introduction of peanut and other nuts into the diet of children until late toddlerhood and preschool age,” said Dr. Laura Dziadzio, a pediatric allergist at Carilion Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor of pediatrics for the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
“However, recent studies have suggested this recommendation may be associated with the development, not the prevention, of peanut allergy.”
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The new guidelines divide infants into three groups.
- The first group includes children with egg allergy and/or severe eczema. It is recommended that these children undergo either blood or skin testing to peanut by age 4-6 months. If negative, peanut should be introduced into their diet at that time. If positive, it would be up to the family and the physician based on the test results how to proceed.
- The second group includes infants with mild to moderate eczema. It is recommended that these children begin to eat peanut around six months of age.
- The third group includes children with no eczema or food allergy. The recommendation for these infants is to introduce peanut into their diet when age appropriate and in accordance with family preferences.
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