Peanut

You can offer peanut once your baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. Whole, broken or chopped peanuts and thick peanut butter are choking risks, so learn how to prepare them safely.

Technically the peanut is not a nut. It is a seed from a legume plant that develops underground, and people eat it. It is native to South America. Food authorities count peanut as a major allergen.

Peanut is high in fat and protein, and it has plenty of fiber. It carries iron, magnesium, zinc, folate, B6 and vitamin E. It provides lasting energy, building blocks for growth and fuel for gut bacteria.

Thin the peanut butter

Loosen smooth peanut butter without honey using applesauce, formula, breast milk, or water. Serve it alone or stir it into porridge or yogurt. You can spread it very thinly on toast strips. A sip from an open cup can wash down sticky bites.

Or grind peanuts very fine and sprinkle a pinch over soft foods. Slippery fruits such as avocado, banana and mango can be rolled in ground peanut.

First try

On the first try, a tiny pinch of ground peanut will do, or roughly 1/8 teaspoon of thinned peanut butter. Hold it on your fingertip or a spoon in front of your baby's mouth and offer it once your baby looks ready (mouth open, leaning forward). Wait 10 minutes. If there is no reaction, keep offering small tastes while your baby stays interested. Watch for another 30 minutes after the meal. If a reaction happens, stop feeding and call your doctor right away, or emergency services if it is severe.

If your baby has marked facial eczema or irritable skin, you can put a barrier cream such as pure petroleum jelly around the mouth. If you mix peanut with a purée, offer that purée alone a few times first so you know the cause if there is a reaction.

Keep it regular

If your baby tolerates peanut, keep offering it about twice a week. Regular intake is important for protection against peanut allergy. About 2 grams of peanut protein a week through the toddler years is thought to be enough for lasting tolerance.

Peanut oil can be used for cooking, but it does not keep allergen exposure going, since it carries little allergenic protein. Peanut flour also supplies fiber, protein, zinc, B6 and folate.

Peanut butter for babies must not contain honey. Store an opened jar in the fridge.

Any nut, nut piece or nut butter can choke a baby or child, and peanut is near the top of that list.

To lessen the risk, loosen the peanut butter with applesauce, formula, breast milk, or water. Grind peanuts to a powder and sprinkle them over food. Do not offer thick paste by the spoon or in a lump.

Whole or broken peanuts are not given before age 4. Stay within arm's reach while your baby eats and keep them seated upright.

Peanut is a common allergen. Peanut allergy in children is on the rise. Risk is higher in babies with severe eczema or egg allergy. If you think your baby may have peanut allergy, or your baby has severe eczema, speak with a pediatric allergist or your pediatrician before you give peanut.

A key study showed that giving peanut early cuts the chance of developing peanut allergy later. Following that study, NIAID, the US agency for allergy and infectious disease research, advises starting peanut before the first birthday, with risk factors in mind. For babies with eczema, earlier introduction, ideally between 4 and 6 months, is advised, but only on the decision of a doctor or allergist.

When peanut allergy develops it usually lasts for life. About 20 percent of children outgrow it. A child with peanut allergy has a 25 to 40 percent chance of reacting to at least one tree nut as well. Highly refined peanut oil is usually tolerated because processing removes the allergenic proteins. Unrefined oil is still a risk.