When Can My One Year Old Have Peanut Butter?

I started giving my son peanut butter at around one. I would give him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with a VERY thin layer of peanut butter (because of the choking issue). I think his dad has given him shellfish (I hate all fish with a passion so they eat it when I'm not around). We have no family history of food allergies and I tend to be a worrier so I decided I just wasn't going to believe in food allergies (okay not really, but sort of) because if I did I would drive myself crazy. (I've heard of people feeding their kids peanut butter for the first few times in the hospital parking lot. I didn't but it is a thought.)

Peanut butter yes, is not recommended until at LEAST age two because of the allergy associated with it. However, peanut butter is a choking hazard. Do you know that? Please be careful when using peanut butter on a young child. I did not begin introducing peanut butter with any of my children until they were at least 3 or 4 and when I did, I smeared the thinnest layer of peanut butter on a cracker or slice of bread.

All of the advice you've received so far is very out of date based upon current policies and recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Current thought is that withholding foods such as nuts may actually cause the development of an allergy.

With our son (almost 4), we were told to wait until 15 months (when we admitted to giving him peanut butter at 12 months).
Our daughter just turned 2, and when we asked at her 12 month appointment, the pediatrician (who has 3 boys under the age of 5 himself) said that it the recommendations had changed.

Current AAP policy: children can have ANY foods as long as they're not a choking hazard and there is no known food allergy in the family. You should still introduce new foods slowly to identify possible allergies.

That being said, your pediatrician may not closely follow AAP recommendations, so I'd still run it by them. But, current scientific research actually goes against all the advice from the other moms. Sorry.

I subscribe to this newsletter and here's the info I got back in April 2009 regarding this subject:

1. When should baby try high-allergenic foods?
>>
>> Researchers have found some
>> evidence that EARLIER introduction to high-allergy foods (like peanut
>> products) may actually REDUCE the risk of having a food allergy. This is
>> the exact opposite of what has been accepted wisdom for many years!
>>
>> Based on this, the American Academy of Pediatrics Nutrition Committee has
>> changed their recommendations. They now say that infants over six months
>> of age can try a variety of foods such as seafood, shellfish, eggs, peanut
>> products, and nut products.
>>
>> Wow-that is a major change. We do suggest you discuss this with your
>> baby's doc as she may have her own opinions and suggestions based on your
>> child and family's health history. And, remember to only offer one new
>> food every few days so you can identify which food is a problem, if there
>> is one.
>>
>> Note: Honey is still taboo until after one year of age. It's the botulism
>> risk, not a food allergy that makes it off limits.
>>

I'm from Israel, and a lot of the new studies are based on israel's introduction methods. One of the countries staple foods is called Bamba. It's like a peanutbutter flavored puff, and is generally one of the first foods given to children when they start solids. Incidently, Israel has one of the worlds lowest rates of peanut allergies. These findings led to the current studies and changed the American recommendations.

My son is 14 months. I waited until he turned one to give him peanutbutter, and even after hearing all this I was still nervous, so I understand where you're comming from. My son was fine, no allergy. Good luck and congrats on your little one.

Peanut and shellfish allergies can be REALLY bad reactions! I was told to wait until 2 before I introduced it and its a good thing I did wait! We ended up having both of my sons tested for allergies (can't remember why) and it turns out they were deathly allergic to peanuts!!! It could have killed them at age 1. They did grow out of it by 2 or 3, but the fact is that many kids have allergies early and grow out of them within a few years.

PS - no one in my family or my husbands family is allergic to any types of foods!

Nut allergies can be very bad, so most recommend to wait until after 2 when their bodies are a little more mature. I waited.

i was told 2 years old. i waited until age 3.

Well I have 2 girls ages 3 and 15 months. I was always told 1 years old and that's what i did. Both girls were fine too. I just start with a small amount and they were fine.

Shell fish can carry a lot of deseases so I for sure would wait on that. The main reason for her saying not to give him peanut butter is probably more to due with it being hard to swallow then to do with allergies. I gave both of my girls peanut butter. But my Mom told me to put butter on the bread with it to make it easier to swallow. She says the reason kids have so many allergies today is because they are over protected. She had 8 of us and not one of us has allergies and we were fed everything.

There are people who just have allergies and there doesn't seem to be any explanation. But for most people, early exposure to things seems to actually lessen allergies. People who grew up with cats or dogs have less or no allergies as adults. People who spent a lot of time outdoors, tend to not be allergic to the plants that are constantly around them- but may be to plants in other states. People who ate a wide range of things as infants have less food allergies as adults. Also, some children have slight allergies that they grow out of with slow exposure over time to what they are allergic to. My pediatricians advice was (honey is off limits until after 2) when they started eating table food, give them a tiny amount of the food in question. If they have no reaction, wait a day or two then give them more and so on. I followed this advice with all 4 of my kids and as of right now, none of them are allergic to anything. Strangely, my 30 year old husband developed an allergy to almonds just in the last 2 years. So, basically, just take it slow and see what happens.

My pedi said 15 mos...we have no history of peanut allergies in our family, so I did & he was fine. He loves it, too! :) Actually, what I did first was to smear a bit on his arm...I figured if he's severly allergic, he would react just from that. Since he did fine, I fed it to him.

I was told no peanut butter or shellfish until 2. You can give your son Sunbutter. My daughter loves this stuff. She turned 2 in April and she still eats it. http://www.sunbutter.com/

Family history will tell alot. If nothing then what you can do is put a tiny amount of peanut butter on your lips and kiss him. Wait a few days for any reaction wheter it breathing, skin or behavior. If not sure then try it again in a few days. If everything is fine then it is probably very safe it give it to him. Both my girls and the kids I babysit had pb before they were one. If you breastfed, he's already been exposed to peanuts. They are in EVERYTHING!

I started given my son peanut butter around 8 or 9 months. Our pediatrician told us that we should not worry about waiting to introduce any food beside honey (1 year). The only thing I worried about was the possibility of choking, so I spread peanut butter very thinly and watched him carefully while he ate it. We also gave him shrimp before he was 2, and he loves them.

Peaunt butter is a sticky issue, here is what I know. Until 2-3 years ago WIC gave out peanut butter on their vouchers for children 1-5, and for expecting mothers. When they stopped, I asked why, and I was told it is a choking hazard. I read articles that said it contributed to childhood obesity. Some web sites say it increases the chances of peanut allergies because we already ingest so much peanut oil in processed foods, the body becomes overwhelmed and rejects the peanuts.

I have four children and five grandchildren, they have all eaten peanut butter one way or another before the age of one, no one got ill, fat, choked to death or developed a peanut allergy. As part of a balanced diet it has never been an issue for us.

Shellfish can have high traces of metals and mercury. Small children cannot process these metals or mercury. It is toxic for children to accumulate metals/mercury in their bodies and can lead to brain damage, cancers, and other health issues.

Our doctor said one year but I waited till she was old enough to talk. That way if she had a reaction, she could tell me.

My kids both tried peanut butter in cookie form at a year old. They had no reaction and to this day are not allergic.
Shellfish? My kids are both fiends.
We have zero history of food allergies in my family and introduced certain things a tiny taste at a time just to be sure. But my kids are not allergic to anything.
I let them try honey, peanut butter, shellfish, all at about a year old with no problems.
That's just the way I did it and they had no reactions whatsoever, but, allergies to certain things are serious and you do want to be careful.
I'm older, and when my kids were babies, I was told a year, so maybe they say 2 years now. I don't know.
I just know my kids, fortunately, didn't have any problems.

Best wishes!

I was told one year and both kids started then. I'm not overly concerned about peanuts.

I was told 2 years old if there are food allergies in your family. 18 mths if there isnt any. Good luck. I waited until my daughter was 2 before giving it to her. It isnt very easy to eat so that might be another reason why they want us to wait.

I only wait until 1 year, but there is no history of food allergy in my family and I start really small so if there is a reaction it will be minor.

Mama H and Dana are right, the guidelines have changed in the past couple years. I gave everything to my son except honey, choking hazards, and plain whole cows milk before he turned one. We have no food allergies in my family, so he got it all. Now, peanut butter CAN be a choking hazard because it can stick in their throats. What I did was thin it with milk until it wasn't so thick and sticky. I gave him apples to dip in a very thin sauce. I also use natural peanut butter which is not so sticky. And for sandwiches I started out with a very thin layer at first.