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Australian parents should be feeding eggs and peanuts to their children in the first year of their lives to prevent allergies.

Last week we shared the new advice from the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) saying that the foods, previously avoided, now need to be included in the diets of infants much early.

According to an abstract of the MJA report, eggs and peanuts should be introduced when the infant is between the ages of four months and one year, reports 9 news.

The MJA said the advice is not “a strict window” of introduction but rather a recommendation not to delay the introduction of solid foods beyond 12 months of age. Parents had previously been advised not to expose their children to eggs and peanuts before they turned one.

It is hoped the inclusion of the food will help build a child’s tolerance so they won’t develop allergies later in life.

Parents panic!

Sunrise has reported that it’s been revealed Aussie parents have been giving their infants nuts and other allergic foods for the first time in the carparks of GP surgeries and hospitals.

Parents fear they could be risking their child’s life. Doctor’s advise there is a huge fear around anaphylaxis and people need to educate themselves better around the possibilities.

Parents should consult with their doctor before making changes to their child’s diet.

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  • I gave my kids everything including cows milk before they were a year old and none of them have allergies. Perhaps I was just lucky.

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  • If there is a family history of allergies to certain foods then I think you may be a little concerned – best to do it with a health professional. If there is no family history, odds are your child should be fine.

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  • We introduced our son to peanut butter at an early age. He immediately developed a rash around his mouth, so we stopped the process. However, we re-introduced it again as a toddler and he is fine. He does not have any nut allergies. It needs to be a common sense approach and not one of panic or misinformation. There are so many instances now of allergies, you have to wonder what is going on in the world. However, a slow introduction of such things will build up a tolerance in your child. You can’t do all or nothing and expect it to work.

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  • They are always constantly giving you different advice. One year it’s this another year it’s ok to do that but not something else!

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  • One minute something is ok, then its not, seriously its gets really wacko sometimes. I say speak to a trusted professional when in doubt.

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  • I can understand the caution of wanting to be close to help. I didn’t introduce my first born to eggs until she was three and she ended up with a full body rash the first time she tried merengue – we had to give her eggs regularly to get her body used to them (she loves them now). Learnt my lesson there and my youngest we tasting pb, eggs and pretty much everything we eat or cook with from six months old and hasn’t reacted to anything yet. Given how common allergies seem to be these days, early exposure is essential.

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  • This isn’t that new – my son was born in 2015 and that was the advice we were given then. Once he was on solids he had scrambled eggs and peanut butter in his first year, luckily with no problems. I didn’t know some people were so worried that they were doing it in hospital and GP car parks though.

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  • Before 12 months is a bit early. My kids didn’t even have solids till after that. I ate tonnes of eggs and nuts though so would they not have got them through me.

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  • Each child is different, what might be right for one isnt for another. Mothers should follow their own gut feelings.

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  • 4 months old is way too young, digestive systems are not developed enough to digest eggs and nuts, this is just stupid advice. Eggs are too rich and nuts are too hard to digest. Feed them lots of fresh fruit and veg and they will be healthier.

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  • As an older mum , my children range from 36 to 6 years old. i have just followed my own thing plus apart from stopping bran with one baby have eaten these foods , so they would have gone through the milk or my body when pregnant.

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  • Sounds common sense to me to feed your child with all these things before they are 6 months.

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  • we were told not to eat them during pregnancy but we did because the pregnancy before that was ok, so maybe they need to get organised and get back to us

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  • There can be so much conflicting advice – we have always gone on the advice of our GP and specialist.

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  • I never cut out these foods and gave eggs as first solid and peanut butter within the first year.
    I don’t know why people panic, but when they do they don’t harm anyone to be close to a hospital when they first introduce these foods. That’s taking your panic serious, which is good.


    • The best first food is avocado, the closest to breast milk (sugar and fat content and nutrition), followed by banana.

    Reply

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