Allergen guide
🥜 Introducing Peanuts to Your Baby Safely
Peanut can be introduced from around 6 months using a small amount of smooth peanut butter thinned with water, breast milk or formula. Never give whole or chopped peanuts to children under 5.
When to introduce peanut
Peanut can be part of your baby's first foods from around 6 months, once they are happily eating a few other foods. Offering it in the first year, rather than putting it off, is the current UK approach. Always use smooth peanut butter or finely ground peanuts, never whole or chopped nuts, as these are a choking risk for under 5s. If your baby has severe eczema or already has a food allergy, speak to your GP or health visitor before you start.
How to start
- Pick a morning when your baby is well and you are at home
- Mix a small amount, around a quarter of a teaspoon, of smooth peanut butter with warm water, breast milk or formula
- Stir it into a food your baby already enjoys, such as porridge or fruit puree
- Keep it as the only new food that day
- If all goes well, offer a little more over the next few days
First ways to offer it
- Smooth peanut butter thinned and stirred into porridge
- Thinned peanut butter swirled through plain yoghurt
- Ground peanuts sprinkled into mashed banana
- A thin scrape of smooth peanut butter on toast fingers
Keep it going
Once your baby is fine with peanut, keep offering it at least once or twice a week. Regular contact matters, as letting it drop out of the diet for a long time may make it harder for their body to stay used to it. A little in porridge or on toast keeps things simple.
Signs of a mild reaction
- A red, blotchy or raised itchy rash, often around the mouth or on the face
- Mild swelling of the lips, face or around the eyes
- Itchy or red skin
- A runny or blocked nose, sneezing or watery eyes
- Being sick, tummy ache or diarrhoea
If you notice mild signs, stop offering the food and speak to your doctor or health visitor before trying again.
Signs of a severe reaction
- Swelling of the tongue or throat
- Trouble breathing, or noisy, fast or hard breathing
- Wheezing, or a cough that will not stop
- A hoarse voice, or trouble swallowing
- Becoming pale and floppy, or suddenly very sleepy
- Collapse, or not responding to you
Call 999 straight away and say you think your baby is having a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). If your baby has been given an adrenaline auto-injector, use it now. Do not wait to see if it settles. If you only see mild signs, stop offering the food and speak to your GP or health visitor before trying it again.
Where peanut can hide
- Satay and some curry sauces
- Cereal bars and granola
- Biscuits, cakes and chocolate
- Some vegetarian burgers and sausages
- Groundnut and peanut oil
- Many Asian and African dishes
Foods in our database that contain it
Allergens with OBubba
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Questions parents ask
Which peanut butter should I use?
Choose a smooth peanut butter with no added salt or sugar if you can. Always thin it before offering, as thick nut butter can be hard for babies to manage.
My baby has eczema. Can I still give peanut?
Yes, most babies with eczema can. If the eczema is severe, or your baby already has a food allergy, speak to your GP or health visitor before introducing peanut.
When can my child have whole peanuts?
Not until they are 5 years old. Before then, use smooth peanut butter or finely ground peanuts in food.
Other allergens
Sources
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- BSACI: Early feeding guidance
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).