When can babies have peanut butter? Why can’t babies have honey? When can babies eat eggs? These are big questions for parents concerned about food allergies and food dangers for their children 12 months or younger.
Some foods, like peanuts and eggs, are potential allergens. Other foods, like honey, pose food safety risks.
Here’s what you should know about babies and food risks.
How Common Are Food Allergies?
About 8% of kids have food allergies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The most serious allergic reactions in the United States come from these eight foods:
- Peanuts
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Soy
- Wheat
- Tree nuts
- Crustacean shellfish
Allergic reactions range from mild to severe and can start at any age, even if your child easily tolerated the food before.
Allergic reactions to food occur when the immune system treats a specific food as harmful to the body. In response, the body heightens its natural defenses, producing allergy symptoms. Allergy symptoms can include:
- Hives
- Difficulty breathing
- Upset stomach
- Rash
- Swelling
- Nausea
However, steadfastly avoiding any potential food allergens can seriously — and possibly unnecessarily — restrict your child’s diet. And by gradually introducing your child to potential allergens, like peanuts, they can develop immunity.
When Can Babies Have Peanut Butter?
The peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies, and it can be life-threatening.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) used to recommend not feeding peanuts to babies. However, those guidelines have changed. Now, NIAID says parents can begin introducing infant-safe peanut foods to babies when they’re developmentally ready — at 4 to 6 months of age.
Earlier introduction of peanuts can reduce the risk of children developing a peanut allergy.
Of course, you want to make sure the peanut is not a choking hazard, so peanut butter might be a better choice. NIAID recommends starting with 2 teaspoons of smooth peanut butter mixed with water, breast milk, or formula.
When Can Babies Have Cow’s Milk?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends breastfeeding as a baby’s sole source of nutrition for their first six months of life. However, babies can also react to cow’s milk from a breastfeeding mother’s diet. If your child has a cow’s milk protein allergy and you’re breastfeeding, you may need to avoid cow’s milk in your diet.
Not all mothers can or want to breastfeed. Traditional baby formulas contain cow’s milk proteins. There are alternatives, including soy-based formulas, if your baby has a milk allergy. A pediatrician can advise you on these alternatives.
The AAP says babies can begin to eat dairy foods like yogurt at about 6 months. Other dairy foods can be added as your child is developmentally ready. At 1 year of age, they can begin drinking cow’s milk (or plant-based alternatives).
When Can Babies Eat Eggs?
Eggs are used in the production process for some vaccines. The yellow fever vaccine is the vaccine most likely to cause an allergic reaction in a child who is allergic to eggs. If your child has an egg allergy, talk to their pediatrician about vaccinations.
Why Can’t Babies Have Honey?
Children 12 months and older can have honey, since their systems are more developed.
Breastfeeding parents can have honey themselves, the AAP says.
What’s the Best Way to Introduce New Foods to Babies?
You should introduce new foods to your baby one at a time, a week or two apart, to watch for allergic reactions. As with all food issues, it’s a good idea to talk to your pediatrician about any concerns.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .