Proactivity may be the solution to peanut allergies. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released new guidelines Thursday on peanut allergies, and the big takeaway is that the more susceptible a kid is to a peanut allergy, the earlier he or she should start eating peanuts. The advice is a big shift from pediatricians' previous advice to avoid giving at-risk kids peanuts until they are 3 years old.
Now, studies indicate that for particularly high-risk kids, the ideal age to start noshing on peanut-based foods is between 4 and 6 months. Kids who are less susceptible can hold off until about 6 months, and kids at no risk whatsoever are free to try peanuts as they please. Indications that a baby may be at high risk for developing a peanut allergy include severe asthma, the skin rash eczema, or egg allergies. In some particularly high-risk cases, babies might need a check-up before they get their first taste of a peanut.
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