Introducing your baby to allergens

Many parents often wonder when the best time is to introduce their baby to food that may have a high risk of causing an allergic reaction.
We know more and more that the earlier introduction to those high allergen foods is beneficial and protective against developing food allergies said Michael Endris MD a pediatrician at OSF HealthCare.
Food allergies in infants have increased in recent years. About 8 of children in the United States have a food allergy according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Whos at risk of a reaction?
Any baby can have an allergic reaction to any food.
Babies with a family history of food allergies a prior food allergy themselves or those with eczema can be at higher risk of developing food allergies. You can talk with your pediatrician on how to safely incorporate these foods into your babys diet.
If youve already discovered that your baby is allergic to a certain food they may be at higher risk of having an allergic reaction to other foods.
Infants at higher risk could have testing done with their pediatrician or an allergist to help determine how to safely incorporate high allergen foods like peanuts. I still dont recommend eating peanut butter in the emergency department parking lot Dr. Endris said.
Common food allergies
There are more than 160 foods that cause allergic reactions in people.
However according to the United States Department of Agriculture USDA The Big 9 are the most common food allergies. They include milk eggs fish shellfish tree nuts peanuts wheat soybeans and sesame.
These nine foods and any ingredient that contains protein derived from one or more of them are designated as major food allergens the USDA described.
Since these nine are the most common allergens food labels must have a clear warning on any food that contains any of The Big 9.
When to introduce baby to allergens
Talk to your babys pediatrician about when the best time is to start your baby on solids. Many babies start to hit important milestones around 4 to 6 months old including being able to hold up their head.
Every child is going to be a little different but usually in that 46month range is a good time to introduce those foods.
Thats when we can start to offer a variety of different foods rich with puréed meat and high allergen things Dr. Endris said.
How to introduce allergens
When introducing any new food and especially high allergen foods its good