Too Early for Peanut Butter?

I have had this same quandry...I too have an 18 month old, and I know he would love peanut butter--but he is a pretty good eater, so I have held off, because he will eat other things, and because of the conflicting reports on the nut thing. I gave my daughter peanut butter by about 20 months, because she also was VERY picky! She did fine with the peanut butter, but doesn't really like it much, so it didn't help. So, I guess it is up to you and your better judgement...just be prepared! There usually is no reaction the first time something is introduced, so make sure that he is supervised for the first few times he eats it (don't wait until you are on a picnic in the woods or anything!). The reaction usually occurs the second time the food is eaten. I just talked to my doctor about this at my son's 18 month check up last week. He said that peanuts and peanut oil are in so many things (labels often say "processed in a facility that processes peanuts") that kids by this age have often already had an exposure...however, I am still waiting a while, because I know several families dealing with this type of allergy and it is AWFUL!
I also wanted to mention that honey is only restricted until 12 months, and then kids can have it--I saw a couple posts that said 2 years, but it is fine after 1 year--it even says so on the honey container :)

I would wait until your son is three. that is within the american pediatric guildlines.

Hi T.,
Dr.'s do not know everything, if you feel that your son is ready try it. I had not heard this before and I can say I know plenty of women who gave children under three peanut butter without concern. I would only be very cautious about his reaction due to the fact that nut allergies are extremely serious. You do know what is best for your baby don't ever forget that no matter what books and Dr.'s advise you. Peanut butter is a great source of nutrition for all ages. My son was a large baby and a big eater and yet the Dr.'s and books kept telling me to not feed him baby foods or table foods until he was at least 8 months. I breast fed him until he was 18 months old but he was well adjusted to all foods by this age. It sounded ridiculous to me and he became a happier child when his belly was satisfied. I think they keep changing the rules year after year since I had never been warned of may things I read or hear from mothers and pregnant women. Maybe ask the opinion of another physician might ease your worries.
Best of Luck :)

Being a person who is highly allergic to nuts and other foods myself, I heed the warnings of waiting until they are 3 very strongly. Simply because when a child is 3 they are better capable of communicating if something is wrong then when they are smaller. I know my parents found out the hard way when I was 2 and I was in intensive care because of it. I would suggest waiting, but it is your choice. If you want to try it, just be very watchful and prepared should something happen. One other factor that may weigh in is if there is any family history of allergies. If you have no allergy history, then you may be safe, but you may not. Good luck with everything!!!

Not too early... AT ALL. My son has been eating PB&J's since he was about 13 months old. He loves it... just make sure when you start out to try just a LITTLE BIT of it and then do not give him anymore until at least 24 hours later. If he persists with an allergic reaction, obviously take him to the ER, and also- you will know he's got an allergy. If he does not have a reaction, my say is that you are in the clear! PB it up! :) lol

I would absolutely avoid peanut butter until later. Peanuts have become one of the most common allergic foods, even in kids who have no family history of allergies. If a child has an inherent allergic sensitivity, introducing the food too early can be harmful, no only because the child can have a reaction, but because the child can develop a more severe reaction than they would had it been introduced later.

I started peanut butter shortly after my child turned one year old. Just spread it thinly on a slice of bread. There are many different brands of peanut butter out there. The "natural" peanut butter has less sugar and tastes good, if you are not used to "regular" peanut butter. I started my child on a natural no-stir peanut butter, didn't like dealing with the oil on the top. Hope this helps!

listen to your ped. I gave my son an allergy to peanuts simply by eating pbj's everyday while I was breastfeeding. He out grew it by 3 but it was a nightmare. It really can be a dangerous allergy. The reason peanut allergies are on the rise is due to a fungus introduced into the peanut crop to make it more hardy. Some people's body view the fungus as foreign therefore creating the allergy to the peanut. I know 3 seems crazy, but I would at last wait until he is 2. If you have family history of food allergies then I would really wait until he is 3. Some other things to try would be hummus (packed full of protein and yummy too) we used to eat sun butter (made from sunflower seeds) and it is delicious and tastes a lot like peanut butter with none of the risk. They sell it at target. Also, I put apple butter(organic only has apples and apple juice) on pancakes and my 9 month old loves it. My daughter was very picky as a baby too, but one thing she really liked was edamame. I know it is weird but it has a lot of fiber and protein. She lived on that and yo baby yogurt until she was like 2! good luck!

A.

Personally I opened up to everything at one year. I have a family member who is allegic to almost everything and growing up with him I just realized you just have to watch your kid when they try something new. They say most kids are over their allergies by 4 is why your doc says 3. My kid loves pb as do most and we've been lucky.. no bee or wasp stings yet tho.. curious how they'll react to that, that's my next big allergy worry :)! Good luck!

introducing peanut butter too early may cause severe allergies to it or other things later in life for your little guy...peanut butter is really hard to digest anyways.. nearly all kids go through picky phases just make sure you offer foods multiple times (over days not in the same day) because their taste buds change from day to day literally so something they love today they may hate tomorrow and vice-versa

You could try one of the other nut butters or a seed butter. Almond, cashew, sunflower seed, and seseme seed butters are widely available. For the seseme(tahini) we mix it with a sweetener ie, honey, maple syrup, or jam.

I know that if kids/people do have a nut allergy, it can be pretty severe. I'm not sure the age to start though. All I know is that they say the earlier something is exposed to kids, the greater the risk of an allergy.

Also, Megan mentioned sweetening with honey, but I've read that honey should not be given until at least age 2 because of the risk of botulism due to the spores in it. We, as adults, can fight off the spores.

Hope that helps a little.

Definitely wait until your little one is three. I'm the mother of a four year old who has a severe peanut/tree nut allergy and now knowing what I do it is best to wait until they are older and can break down the peanut protein in their system. There are many other foods you can feed your tot besides peanut butter. We like the peanut-free soy nut butter that you can get at your grocery store. It's not exactly the same, but it a much better option until your little one is able to handle it.

Be very careful with peanut butter. Some people are so allergic to peanut butter, it is life threatening.
To get a picky eater to eat is a challenge, one way is to
involve him in the meal making process. He will want to try his creation. There are a lot of books with helpful ideas to get him involved without tearing your hair out.

Honestly, it is not crazy for your doctor to have you wait. My son has a peanut allergy and has to use an epi pen. We discovered his allergy by going to the allergist at age 2. Just from experience I would hate for you to give peanut butter and then have an extreme reaction and not know how to handle the situation. They are finding that more and more kids are having peanut allergies. At least go and get tested first before you have him taste it.

I would personally rather give peanut butter to them early...like one year. Watch them closly the first few times. If they have an allergy, you will know it. You never know what someone else might give them while babysitting, or something like that. If you already know they have an allergy, then you can tell them...He is allergic to peanuts, he absolutely can't have any. Then they will respect that. Otherwise, most grandparents are going to give them whatever they want, so it's better to know.

18 months! Peanut butter was my kids 1st birthday present! I have never heard of waiting until 3. Why does your dr. say to wait? Do you have a history of nut allergies in your family? I would do what he says if he has a good stated reason. If he's just being cautious to cautiousness' sake, I would probably disregard. Do some research--see what you think.

To get you started, there has been new research released recently that says that it is not necessary to wait to give foods that kids are typically allergic to, including dairy and tree nuts.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22527940/

Copy this link into your web browser. Mostly it's about breast feeding and preventing allergies, but it does also address introduction of foods to older babies.

My doctor told me I could start slowly feeding my daughter, who just turned 1, peanut butter now. Just to watch and make sure that if there are rashes or hives to stop immediately and give some benedryl, then have it check, but if there is no rashes or hives then it should be fine.

My doctor told me not to give my child peanut butter until the age of 3 becasue of choking. He said that if the kids choke on it that peanut butter does not go up or down.

I love doctors, I really do, but doctor recommendations change so frequently--especially when it comes to dietary guidelines. I have 5 children and the dietary guidelines I have been given have been a little bit different for every single one of them. I guess what I am trying to say is, you are the mother. IF you have a tendency for allergies in your family and you feel like you need to follow the doctor's recommendations, great, go ahead and wait. But if your family tends to be allergy free and you want to give it a try--do it! Just give it to him at a time when you are going to be with him and able to watch to be sure there are no reactions. As always, introduce only one new food at a time so you are sure what is causing a reaction if there is one. I don't think I have waited until any of my children are three, in fact, the suggestion in place for most of my children was 1 year old, not 3. Like I said, those guidelines are always changing. Doctors are great, but don't be afraid to be the mom! C. D

Well, seeing as how he is 18 months old, has he already been exposed to peanuts? I'm thinking he probably has in something... I've seen a lot of advice about allergies, but I think another big reason they say to wait until they're three is because it's a choking hazard. My son just turned 2 and really likes peanut butter, and has for a while. I just spread on a small amount to lessen the risk of choking on it, and watch him closely while he eats. I would just try a little at first and watch him closely for signs of a reaction, and then just be sure you consider the choking risk.

my doctor said peanut butter was ok at one year. I've been giving my daughter peanut butter since 10 mos. She's fine. I think people these days are being a little too cautious. Don't fret the small stuff. Just watch carefully to see if anything happens

Hi T.,

Sometimes doctors don't explain the reason that they want you to wait until the age of 3, but it's almost always to prevent peanut allergy. Kids are less likely to develop it if you wait until 3 or older to introduce the peanuts. This is especially true if your family has any history of atopic disease, like eczema or asthma, then the research really shows that it's way better to wait, than to risk it. I'm not a doc, but have researched this in the past and attended continuing ed
on the subject. At any rate, the choice is yours, and there are no guarantees either way.
Hope this helps.

Best,
S.

The peanut butter advice changes every five minutes. My oldest child is only 4 and when she was a baby, they said 12 months. With my second (he's 2) it was 2 yrs. Now, it sounds like it's up to 3. The reason for that is that SOOO many kids have peanut allergies and the number is rising all the time. It doesn't mean that your child is necessarily going to have a peanut allergy if you give it to them too soon, but if they are prone to having that allergy, it can be avoided by waiting longer to introduce that food. It's a numbers game. Chances are, your child will not have a problem if you give them peanut butter at 18 months. But there is a relatively small chance that they will, and you may wish you had waited if they do because peanut allergies are a PAIN!!!!

listen to your doctor! mine says the same thing. if you give it to early they can gain an allergic reaction to peanuts.you dont want that.

Waiting till 3 is something new...as they told us to wait until she was a year (she's 2 1/2 now). Many moms in my playgroup waited much longer as they were really nervous, but since we don't have allergies and I was eager to try it, I did. It is your choice...just give it in small doses and watch him. BTW, I love the Skippy, natural..it's great and no need to stir!

If you have ANY food allergies in your family history WAIT! It is not worth it to take the chance! The earlier a food is introduced the more likely a food allergy will develop so it is better to be safe with the foods that are high allergen like nuts and seafood. Sorry but you will be glad you didn't give it to him if he ends up being allergic! People who do not have food allergies just do not understand how serious it can be! Another reason to wait is so that the child can communicate to you if he is having a reaction (I feel sick). As far a being picky all kids go through a picky phase try involving him in the preparation process, giving him choices and letting him "graze" to try new things - one idea I saw was to fill muffin tin with different foods in each section that could be used for snacking- then leave it where the child can "graze" and eat when and whatever they choose - this helps you to see what he likes but also encourages him to try new things. Some kids avoid foods or don't like food they are sensitive to so it may be an indication of an allergy, so watch that. If you are really concerned you can supplement his diet with things like protein drinks pediasure etc. But mostly don't worry too much, when he is hungry he will eat!

I love peanut butter and eat it a lot. My third child that was born this past September and would just scream after nursing and her face was all rashy. Someone suggested I cut out pb and she became a happy baby and her face cleared up. She seems to be sensitive or possibly allergic. So with her I will wait. My two boys started eating peanut butter between 1 and 2 and were fine. I had no trouble nursing them. The oldest was a picky eater too when he was little so pb&j was a staple.
So my advice is if you don't have a history of a peanut allergy try it and watch him.

Hey! My doctor told me two years old, but that most mom's usually do it by 18 mos. I think you are fine to try it. My son is 18 mos old too, and he has tried it, but to my dismay, did not like it. OUr kids sound very similar.