Preventing Food Allergies

Food allergies are never fun, especially for parents who have to worry about their little one during snack times with friends or children’s birthday parties.

What if you could prevent allergies altogether? Doctors say it may be possible. The key is actually to have babies try these foods early and often.

Dr. Erika Noel, Kaua'i Medical Clinic pediatrician, says the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) has been suggesting this to parents since 2017. That's just after a landmark study showed that a group of children who were introduced to peanuts regularly between the ages of 4 and 11 months old were 80% less likely to develop a peanut allergy by the time they turned 5.

Dr. Noel says most babies are ready to start solid foods between 4 and 6 months of age. If they can sit with support, hold their head up and show interest in food, parents may begin trying pureed fruit, vegetables and iron-rich cereals. Then, Dr. Noel says talk with your doctor about the best way to introduce tiny amounts of more allergenic foods, including eggs, milk, soy wheat or peanuts.

"You might mix a small amount of smooth peanut butter with breast milk or formula," she says. Avoid thick peanut butter or nuts as those are choking hazards. "Once you try a new food, wait a few days before trying another so that if there is a reaction, you'll know which food caused it."

If your child has any reaction, such as hives, or if you have any questions or concerns, call your doctor.

"It's important to have close communication with your pediatrician," Dr. Noel says. "We are here to help."