Why You Can (Usually) Feed Your Kids Peanut Foods
Peanut allergies are real and can be life threatening for many children. For years, parents have been told to be careful when administering peanuts to babies in case overfeeding of peanuts was linked to allergies.
It makes sense: perhaps babies’ digestive systems are too young to properly process peanuts. But several studies, including a recent large meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association , have shown the opposite is true: Children who did not eat peanuts until a young age are more likely to develop allergies. including the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American Academy of Pediatrics , are now supporting the early introduction of peanut foods into children’s diets .
This video from the Risk Bites (a project related to the Risk Innovation Lab at the University of Arizona ) explains one of the major studies that have changed the minds of experts. Watch the video to learn more about this, and talk to your pediatrician if you have questions about what your child should eat.
Should young children avoid peanut foods? | Risk of being bitten