Key points about preventing allergies in babies
- research shows that giving your baby the common allergy causing foods before they turn one can help reduce the risk of them developing an allergy to that food
- delaying the introduction of the common allergy causing foods does not prevent food allergy
- if you think your baby has a food allergy, seek advice from your health professional
- if you think a food is causing eczema, colic or reflux, please see a health professional before removing the food
Introducing food allergens before babies turn one
Helping reduce the risk of a food allergy
Research shows that giving your baby the common allergy causing foods before they turn one can help reduce the risk of them developing an allergy to that food.
When your baby is ready at around 6 months, but not before 4 months, start to introduce first foods including smooth peanut butter and well-cooked egg. Delaying the introduction of the common allergy causing foods does not prevent food allergy.
Pēpi (babies) have a natural ability to tolerate new foods. This disappears as they get older. Delaying the introduction of foods could lead to an increased chance of food allergy.
If breastfeeding, continue while you introduce solid foods
Breastfeeding is recommended for the many benefits it provides to both mothers and pēpi. If breastfeeding, it's important to continue while you introduce solid foods to your baby.
Keep eating all foods if you are a breastfeeding mother
It's important to keep eating all foods if you are a breastfeeding mother. See an allergy trained doctor or dietitian before removing a food from your diet. Most allergic reactions do not occur through the breastmilk.
Introduce common allergy causing foods to all babies before one
This advice is for all pēpi, whether you have a family history of food allergy or not. Your baby does not need testing before eating a food. Testing does not show whether they will have a reaction when they eat the food.
Pēpi with eczema have a higher chance of developing a food allergy to a food they don't eat.
If you think your baby has a food allergy, ask your health professional for advice. It's important that an allergy trained health professional confirms any food allergies, once there are suspicious symptoms.
Check food allergy symptoms on KidsHealth.
Nip allergies in the Bub provides information about how to feed babies the common allergy causing foods and how to manage eczema, based on current evidence, to support food allergy prevention.
See their website to check whether your baby is more at risk of developing a food allergy.
Acknowledgements
The content on this page is based on content at the 'Nip allergies in the bub' website. The website is an allergy prevention project supported by the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), the National Allergy Council and Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia. The project received funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.
This content has been developed and approved by the Allergy Clinical Network of the Paediatric Society of New Zealand - Te Kāhui Mātai Arotamariki o Aotearoa. The content aligns with Ministry of Health. 2021. Healthy eating guidelines for New Zealand babies and toddlers (0 to 2 years old).
