Peanuts?

So when is the right age to try peanuts/peanut butter? I've read 2 but I have also read 3. I do have a sensitivity to some nuts (not peanuts though) so I am a little cautious but then again, would like for my kids to be able to have a PB&J every once in a while. Not to mention, MIL forgets my kids haven't had nuts yet, and we've had a few instances when I stopped it just in time.

 

When we talked about it, our pedi said the current recommendation is 3 years, but don't freak if they grab someones sandwich/cookie what have you at 18 months, they'd probably be fine.

That being said, my brother doesn't have a diagnosed nut allergy, but doesn't like the way any nuts make his mouth feel and walnuts sometimes make my mouth feel funny. So I'm going to do my best to wait until 3 just to be safe.

And in the mean time, because I can't imagine the next year and a half with out PB&J type sandwiches, I'm going to try sunflower seed butter! We'll see how that goes...haven't tried it yet.

 

My girls pedi said 3, even after I told the pedi at the 2 year check up that they already had peanut butter, I was told to hold off giving them more till they were 3. I didn't listen and started to reallly let them have peanut butter at 2 1/2. But we don't have an history of food allergies.

 

I believe the current recommendation is 3 years old, especially if peanut allergies run in the family. I do not have a peanut allergy, but my brother is allergic to peanuts. I intended to wait until the girls were 3, but we let them have some at 2 1/2, and thankfully they are not allergic.

 

My Ped said 3 too. And if you have some nut allergies, I might really wait until then.

 

I think our dr suggested two (but could have been 3) but we also have no nut allergy in our family (either side). My girls I waited until 2 but with my son he got it about a month or two ago. If there is any nut allergy in the family I would wait and then not actually give it to them I would put it on their skin first and see what happens. Something you could give instead of peanut butter could be cream cheese. Katrina loves have a cream cheese and jelly sandwich.

 

We have nut allergies in our family (children's great grandfather had fatal allergies) so I still have not given them peanut butter (they are in elementary school). They have had hints of it given by other people but I still do my best to avoid it as much as possible.

QUOTE
I can't imagine the next year and a half with out PB&J type sandwiches
It is really quite easy if it is all you know. The whole you can't miss it if you never had it kind of thing.

 

Mine had it after they turned one. I don't even remember asking the pedi; I read it. Fortunately we have no allergies. Peanut butter and peanuts are two of their favorite things to eat!

 

You could always try Sunbutter (made with Sunflower seeds) tastes just like peanut butter! I use it b/c I have a nephew with a peanut allergy and I would rather not have it in my house.
SUNBUTTER

This is also great if your kids go to a peanut free school like mine do!

 

We gave C&C peanut butter at a year. They now LIVE on it! M. has accidently had it too - someone was trying to share!

 

We waited until they were three and even now, they don't get it a ton. They seem to like it, but still prefer other things instead so when I offer it, most of the time, they don't want it. Go figure. Their school is peanut free so for lunches, they get a lot of cream cheese and jelly which they love.

 

Our ped has us wait until age 2. However, with my oldest DD we were able to start at 15 months with the same ped. I think many peds are not being more cautious with all the nut allergies now. We have no family history of nut allergies.

 

Tends to be an extremely hot-button issue, which in the end comes down to your personal comfort level. I introduced them just before their 2nd birthday. Our ped said 3, his nurse said "But many people only wait till 2." And I was starting to worry more about them having nuts by accident (in an unsupervised situation) than about them having a reaction.

My DDs actually don't care that much for peanut butter. We almost never eat it at home, and they don't serve it at school at all because there are several children with peanut allergies. But they do get plenty of nuts -- in baked goods and pesto, mostly. They also like to eat pine nuts straight up.

 

I think the current recommendation is 3. My doctor just said to "wait as long as you can." She usually is fairly low-key about these kinds of things. I am trying to hold off until they are 2 but it is getting more & more difficult!