# When Did/Will You Give Peanut Butter to Your Toddler?



## ap mom (Dec 23, 2006)

When did/will you give peanut butter to your toddler? Peanuts?

What about other nuts?

Thanks!


----------



## KimProbable (Jun 22, 2005)

With DS I waited until he was a bit over a year. With DD I started her when she was 12 or 13 months. It was quite hard sometimes to keep her from getting into DS's peanut butter before then!

We have no history of nut/peanut allergies in our families. If we had I would have waited much longer.


----------



## Vicitoria (Dec 17, 2004)

My mom started it with DS around 18 months. It freaked me out at first but he was fine. He still eats it by the spoonfull to this day.


----------



## sophiekat (Oct 29, 2005)

i think around 15 months -- no history of allergies so i felt ok with it then. she's only had pb though, i don't think shes ready for whole nuts.


----------



## Missy (Oct 22, 2002)

The current recommendation is to wait until they're three years old if there is any family history of asthma and/or allergies (doesn't have to be to peanuts or nuts; you inherit the propensity for allergies, not the specific allergy).


----------



## lovesdaffodils (Jul 11, 2007)

We intended to wait until over 2, but DS swiped a bit of peanut butter around 22 months. We don't have a family history of allergies (of any type) so we were okay with letting him continue to have it. PB&J is one of his favorites now.


----------



## queenbean (Apr 6, 2007)

My daughter is not quite 13 months old, and she first had peanut butter about two weeks ago. She loves it, and since we have no family history of nut allergies whatsoever, we decided to let her try a bit. But there are some things that we will wait much longer on due to family history of allergies, such as shellfish.


----------



## RiverSky (Jun 26, 2005)

Not until 4 years old. I have a nephew who was allergic to peanuts, milk, eggs, DH was allergic to shellfish, numerous relatives were allergic to cats
... I felt it was prudent to be cautious.


----------



## artemis80 (Sep 8, 2006)

We just started almond butter at 12 months and will wait until 2 to start peanut butter.


----------



## Missy (Oct 22, 2002)

Really? That's interesting. Given our experience, though, it's not something I would risk after watching my youngest child's reactions. If it's within someone else's comfort level, great.


----------



## katheek77 (Mar 13, 2007)

9.5 mos for peanut butter. She swiped it from me.

I'm another one of those who thinks that "holding off" on allergens actually makes it worse in the long run.


----------



## Beppie (Oct 24, 2005)

12 months for any kind of nuts. But we also have no nut allergies in the family. I probably would have waited longer if we had. She loves to eat nuts, but she has never really liked peanut butter.


----------



## Missy (Oct 22, 2002)

I didn't hold off with any of my kids because I never considered us to be at risk; my youngest has over 20 food allergies, including several anaphylactic ones. Some of them we found out the hard way because they were considered lower allergenic foods, so we didn't hold off. Sorry. Personal experience, watching my child's with anaphylaxis, dictates to me that I'd prefer to err on the side of caution next time. His reactions have not been a whole lot of fun, and I don't ever want to put another child through what he's been through. It's not worth it.


----------



## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

11 months. I knew the rec, but we have no allergies in my family and I felt she would be fine. And she is.


----------



## Missy (Oct 22, 2002)

bluebottle--I really appreciate your thoughtful questions because, obviously, this is a sensitive subject for me.









Would I do anything different? Yes. I wouldn't eliminate the more unusual allergens because I know some of his allergies are highly unusual. However, I would eliminate the top eight, plus corn. Studies have shown peanut protein can pass intact through the placenta. I also wouldn't vax. My older kids were vaxed with no clear negative impact; my youngest has an unusual immune system, and, given that, I wouldn't risk the direct assault on another baby.

Why is there such an increase in peanut allergies? I think there are several factors, not the least of which is the increase in consumption in the last few decades. Early on, peanuts were a luxury item; now pb&j is an American staple (not sure how it is in other countries). While anyone can react to any food protein in any food, some proteins are more allergenic than others. Peanuts have a number of highly allergenic proteins, which make them naturally more allergenic than other foods. While they are a legume, they share common highly allergenic proteins with tree nuts as well. Additionally, there was until recently (and maybe still is) a vaccine that contained peanut oil, so there was a very common, dangerous allergen being injected directly to the immune system. (There was a discussion on here about that some time ago.) Not a wise thing. There's also the issue of how the peanut has been changed over the years by scientists; some people believe they've created a more allergenic product.

I think it's probably a combination of several of those factors, mixed up with vulnerable immune systems.

I also need to point out that some people have maintained it's not the peanut, but the mold? Not true. The mold is a danger to everyone and is not connected with an allergy to the protein(s).


----------



## Ms.QsMama (Nov 2, 2006)

dd started having PB and peanuts around 2 y/o. we've had no problems.


----------



## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

NO ONE knows why peanut allergies are on the rise. There are lots of theories, but that is it. Out of the three small children at dh's office, 2 are allergic to peanuts and the other one is exclusivly breastfed so who knows if it will be three for three (2 of the kids are mine, the other mom is preggie so hopefully it won't be 4 for 4!)

Dd had peanuts at 16 months, broke out in hives. At 18 months I was having an pregnancy moment and she had a bite of my pb sandwich, broke out in hives. She's the first w/ food allergies in our families.


----------



## Missy (Oct 22, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bluebottle* 
i'm not sure the peanuts are more common now argument makes sense to me. peanuts are a dietary staple in a lot of countries, and i would imagine that those countries have much lower numbers of peanut allergic kids than the US does right now. also, when i was a kid peanut butter and jelly really were staples, and were served regularly in schools; now a lot of parents keep their kids away from peanuts, and i've heard they are not served in a lot of school districts anymore. which would suggest that kids now are actually eating less peanuts than 20 years ago.

But, several decades ago, it wasn't an absolute staple. So it has more to do with how the consumption has changed through the last couple generations.

Again, though, I doubt that it's any one thing. I think it's a combo of several factors.

I'll see if I can't find the other discussion because I really don't remember which vax it was. I think it was one pharma. company's version of the vax.


----------



## speedknitter (Aug 20, 2004)

My husband has some food allergies that cause an anaphylactic reaction, so we have been cautious with a few things with our DD, so far she seems fine. She started with peanut butter at about 20 months or so, wanting to have her mini whole wheat bagel with "peanut butter on".


----------



## simplelah (Jun 27, 2007)

Sometime around 18 months with both kids. My dd still doesn't get nuts, just PB.


----------



## Blu Razzberri (Sep 27, 2006)

I waited until after the one year mark. But I was so paranoid, that I actually gave my son peanut butter in the parking lot at the hospital.









(I'm not insanely paranoid, we were already AT the hospital; no special trips; lol)


----------



## jassyp101 (Oct 28, 2005)

We started at 14 months and my DD loves it. I usually mix in some applesauce so its not so sticky and she eats it right off the spoon. We don't have any nut allergies, otherwise I would have waited longer.


----------



## kissum (Apr 15, 2006)

She was probably 16 months. We have no history of food allergies though.


----------



## Polkadots (Jun 6, 2005)

Maybe never.

He is 18 months old now and we won't consider it until at least 3. I have a walnut allergy myself.

There are plenty of other wonderful healthy foods in the world that he is not missing out on pb in my opinion.

Allergies...scary stuff.

I feel for you Missy.


----------



## myrmom (Aug 19, 2004)

11 months for first ds...he swiped some off of dh's plate.....13 months for ds2...ds1 was kind enough to share his sandwich.


----------



## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

We started cashew and almond butters around 11 mo, PB around 12 mo. We started walnuts a little later. We introduced hazelnuts in there too at some point.

One of the main reasons that holding off till 3yo is recomended if there is a family history of allergies is b/c if the child does go into anaphalaxis they can tell you what's happening. One might not realize what was happening with a nonverbal child till it was too late.

I'm of the _holding off too long may cause allergies_ school of thought. There is evidence that holding off on all solids (not just allergenic ones) till after 6 mo is a good idea, but nothing that shows delaying longer to have any benefit.

For a long time it was believed that children exposed to pets at a young age would be more prone to allergies and asthma. However, when scientist did a long term study they found that children who grew up around animal were *less* likely to develope allergies or asthma.

IMO the reason allergies are on the rise is b/c our lives have become too clean and sterile and our food has too many chemicals (like pesticides) on it. Items made from GMOs can legally be called organic.

Another thing that is going on with the rising rate of allergies is that there are people who think they have food allergies, but don't. My DH has claimed to be allergic to shrimp, but I've seen him eat shrimp dishes on several occasions with no ill effect at all. The times he has claimed a reaction is when the dish is very spicy hot he says his lips buzz, I've explained to him that is perfectly normal. He has also claimed to be allergic to penacillin b/c he got a stomach ache while taking it, I have explained to him that that is a common side effect to antibiotics and not an allergic reaction either.


----------



## limabean (Aug 31, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Blu Razzberri* 
I waited until after the one year mark. But I was so paranoid, that I actually gave my son peanut butter in the parking lot at the hospital.

















That's cute.

We gave DS peanut butter a little after 12 months. Other nuts, I can't remember -- I guess he had walnuts the first time he ate my banana nut bread, whenever that was. Maybe 18 months or so?


----------



## Veronique (Nov 10, 2005)

I gave our son peanut butter at 1 year old.

I live in Mexico and the idea of a kid having a peanut allergy is unheard of! I don't know why....
I work in a preschool (ages 1-6) and I was surprised one day when the snack of the day was 'mixed nuts, raisins and cheese cubes'.
I asked the directora, "Are you sure it's ok to serve nuts?....what if one of the kids has an allergy?"
"Allergy???!!!" She looked amazed and surprised by my question!

I guess it's not an issue here...


----------



## 4Marmalade (May 4, 2004)

We introduced my 4.5 year old ds to peanut butter when he was 2 years old. He doesn't like it though







. Dd is 2 now and has yet to have peanut butter. She does eat almond butter and other nuts though. My nephew has a peanut allergy so we felt it prudent to wait a little while longer.


----------



## JessSC (Jan 26, 2007)

My mother is literally allergic to everything under the sun.... dustmites, most trees/plants, wheat, corn, mushrooms, citrus fruit, and numerous other foods. She gets a reaction from almost everything she eats. She's been on allergy shots her whole life.









So, I was pretty cautious. I waited until 2 to give her a taste. She didn't like it at all. She got exposed to it again at 3 and tried a little bit. But never asked for it again that year. Then at 4, she'd eat a peanut butter sandwich every once in a while. Now, at 5, she maybe has a peanut butter sandwich 1-2 times a month. She's never had a reaction.

Jayce is 26 months and has never had any.


----------



## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

My DD (15 mos.) LOVES peanut butter, she's had it from about 12 mos. No allergies in our family.


----------



## henhao (Dec 17, 2004)

I disagree that delaying the introduction of pb will hurt the child in the long run. I ate peanut butter my whole life and so did my DH. Now, we can't eat it. My throat itches and my nose runs when I eat it.

What I hear over and over from people with food allergies is that they ate a lot of the offending food before an allergy developed. My cousin ate loads of pb&j -- every day -- and now can't have peanut butter. I also ate a lot as a child.

I think the trick -- if you do give this food to your child -- is to offer a wide variety of foods and not give peanut butter every day or even every other day.


----------



## Missy (Oct 22, 2002)

Quote:

For a long time it was believed that children exposed to pets at a young age would be more prone to allergies and asthma. However, when scientist did a long term study they found that children who grew up around animal were less likely to develope allergies or asthma.
I asked both our local allergist and our allergist at Hopkins (Dr. Wood) about that, and both explained that allergies to animals are a little different than allergies to food proteins. It has even been shown that increasing exposure to an animal that a child has been allergic to actually decreases the allergy; OTOH, increasing exposure to a food that a child is allergic to tends to increase the severity of the reaction because it keeps the immune system on hyper-alert.

And, yes, that has been our experience. I don't play around with anaphylaxis.

The other thing to keep in mind while you're introducing highly-allergenic foods is that it usually takes an least an initial exposure to the proteins (and breastmilk is not always enough of an exposure) to trigger the immune system. It's best to monitor the first few times a child eats peanuts or nuts, particularly if there is reason for concern.

Last year, we grilled portabella mushrooms; my son ate a whole one and loved it. A few days later, we did it again. He said he didn't like them anymore, but tried one bite. He had an anaphylactic reaction and then a very frightening bi-phasic reaction a few hours later.

You really can't use what happens with seasonal allergies or pet allergies as a guide for what to do with food allergies. The impact on the immune system is a little different.


----------



## lucyem (Apr 30, 2005)

With my first we waited until he was about 2 for peanutbutter. My little one started getting some around 13-15 months. No history of nut allergies in either family. But what confuses me is all these kids are kept off peanutbutter and yet almost all processed food is made in a factory that also processes nuts and/or peanuts. It seems to me the wait is more for the choke factor.


----------



## Adamsmama (Oct 24, 2003)

I don't give peanuts or pb to any of my kids. My 4 & 2 yr old are highly allergic to many foods. Peanuts came back positive on both allergy tests even though I've never given it to them. They can eat with no reaction, almonds and almond butter, which they enjoy.


----------



## Oka-san (Jan 3, 2006)

We haven’t given DD peanut butter or peanuts yet. She’s almost 2. I don’t know if I’m being paranoid or not; we don’t have any history of nut allergies in either of our families, but I figure it’s just one food item out of tens of thousands and she’s not going to suffer if she doesn’t get a pb&j sandwich until she’s 3. She is a very picky eater and has refused to even try sunbutter or almond butter, so it would probably just be a wasted effort anyway, and for something that has the potential to be harmful I think waiting is probably better. Just to be on the safe side.


----------



## Ladybug92405 (Jun 21, 2007)

I was told no peanut butter (or nuts) until my dd is at least 2. Is this true?


----------



## noah's mom (Jan 3, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ladybug92405* 
I was told no peanut butter (or nuts) until my dd is at least 2. Is this true?

That's what I've heard as well - generally peds recommend holding off as long as possible on the highest-risk allergens.

We gave DS pb sometime after 12mos (don't remember exactly when). He has it occasionally on an English muffin, but not very often b/c he's just not a "bread" kid! My nephew has a peanut allergy (he's 7 and carries an epi-pen with him everywhere) but my immediate family has no history of food allergies (DH has allergies to dustmites and our cat, but nothing else significant).

A little OT - but has anyone heard of an "airborne nut allergy"? We took DS to our backup daycare center one day when our regular dcp was on vacation, and they called all the parents ahead of time asking them to not put anything with nuts in their lunches (we provide our own lunches) b/c one of the children had an airborne nut allergy.


----------



## sunflowers (Sep 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *jassyp101* 
We started at 14 months and my DD loves it. I usually mix in some applesauce so its not so sticky and she eats it right off the spoon. We don't have any nut allergies, otherwise I would have waited longer.

Great idea! The only reason I don't give dd much PB is because it's too sticky for her and it becomes a choking hazard for her. I'm definately trying this









I gave my dd PB at around age 15mos. I had already given her other seed butters and soynut butter. Her nutritionist suggested PB because of the awesome amount of fat and cals in it- which she needed. At the time she was only about 15lbs and eating almost 1800 calories per day yet still not growing well. I was trying anything to get more good calories into her! No history of any sort of allergies in our family aside from hayfever.


----------



## Missy (Oct 22, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *noah's mom* 
A little OT - but has anyone heard of an "airborne nut allergy"? We took DS to our backup daycare center one day when our regular dcp was on vacation, and they called all the parents ahead of time asking them to not put anything with nuts in their lunches (we provide our own lunches) b/c one of the children had an airborne nut allergy.

It's the same thing as a regular food allergy; it just means that the child is so sensitive, he'll react to airborne proteins. My son is airborne reactive to dairy; he has a reaction if he is close enough to melting cheese or heated milk. He is also ana. on contact to dairy.


----------



## ryansma (Sep 6, 2006)

We started peanut butter around 14 months. Ds had bran muffins with walnuts in them before that. We have no family history of allergies.


----------



## ryansma (Sep 6, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *noah's mom* 

A little OT - but has anyone heard of an "airborne nut allergy"? We took DS to our backup daycare center one day when our regular dcp was on vacation, and they called all the parents ahead of time asking them to not put anything with nuts in their lunches (we provide our own lunches) b/c one of the children had an airborne nut allergy.

A friend of mine was on a flight with someone that was highly allergic to peanuts - the FA made an announcement that they would not be serving them on the flight.


----------



## caedmyn (Jan 13, 2006)

My DD is intolerant to tree nuts (only exposed through BM)...I never noticed a reaction to PB through BM, but I stopped eating it at the same time as I stopped the tree nuts, just to be on the safe side. My worst fear is that DD will become anaphylactic to tree nuts or peanuts, so I'm pretty cautious about that. She won't get PB until at least age 3, unless I see signs that she's outgrown her other food intolerances (which would indicate to me that her immune system is healing and developing normally at that point).


----------

