Giving peanut butter to young babies between four and six months of age can dramatically reduce peanut allergies, scientists say, according to recent research published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
In this period, the allergy could be reduced by 77%. This is equivalent to preventing 10,000 of the approximately 13,000 cases of peanut allergy each year. Delaying the introduction of peanut-based foods until the child is one year old would only reduce the incidence of allergies by 33%, according to the research.
Experts warn that whole or chopped nuts and peanuts are a choking hazard and should not be given to children under five, so care should be taken as a certain amount is enough to taste.
Current NHS guidance states that peanuts (crushed, ground or butter) can be used from around six months of age.
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A baby is ready for the first solid food if:
-they can stay in a sitting position, keeping their head still
-coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at their food, pick it up and put it in their mouth
-swallow food instead of spitting it out
Peanut allergy is on the rise in the UK with around one in 50 children affected. Peanut allergy has become so common that some schools ban the ingredient.
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Food allergies are the result of our immune system mistaking something harmless for a serious threat. For some, even a small amount of peanuts can lead to such an overwhelming immune response that it becomes life-threatening.
Instead, eating peanuts while the immune system is still developing — and learning to tell friend from foe — can reduce allergic reactions, experts say.
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