SEATTLE — There are new guidelines to help parents prevent peanut allergies that are contrary to earlier guidelines.
Quick Facts:
- Old guidelines were to have kids avoid peanuts for 5 years
- New guidelines say to feed babies peanuts when 4 to 8 months old
- Study says certain infants 86 percent less likely to get allergy
- FDA working on groundbreaking patch for peanut allergies
The Seattle Food Allergy Consortium is launching its recommendations Monday to start National Food Allergy Awareness Week.
After years of people being told the opposite, some doctors say giving babies as young as 4 months old a small amount of peanuts in a controlled setting may actually prevent allergies.
Inside West Seattle's Limber Yoga, infants -- assisted by their mothers -- are old enough for downward dog, and now doctors say they're old enough for what can be a dangerous, if not deadly, food -- peanuts. That sounds a little nuts to Allie Azersky, who was at a Limber Yoga class with her baby Opal Monday afternoon.
"In my situation, it could have killed me when I was a baby,” Azersky said.
She explained that she ended up in the hospital after her mother exposed her to controversial foods at 4 months. She says that was too young for her and is too young for her Opal. But a new study out from the United Kingdom and backed locally by the Seattle Food Allergy Consortium says it’s more than safe, it’s prevention.
Of the kids who didn't eat peanut products until age 5, nearly 14 percent developed a peanut allergy. Of the kids who tried peanut products before the age of 1, only 1.9 percent developed the allergy years later.
Seattle’s Dr. David Naimi says there's no proof it works on kids who aren’t at high risk for the allergy – but finds it promising.
"With this information, it's a very good conversation starter (for parents) to talk with their pediatrician or allergist, and this (eating peanuts) needs to be done under close supervision and guidance,” he explained.
Still, Azersky is skeptical and says she'll wait. One new thing at a time -- especially when she knows that new thing can kill.
"I don't think I would take that chance because life threatening is as severe as it can get,” she concluded.
For complete details on which children can try this technique with the guidance of a pediatrician, see SeaFAC's guidelines: http://www.seafac.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/SeaFAC-LEAP-Guidelines.pdf