We are a peanut butter family. And we are fortunate to not have any peanut allergies that run in our family. But for those who do have nut allergies to worry about, there is a new study advising that you expose babies to peanut butter rather than avoid it like the plague. Several researchers not involved in the study corroborate its results, indicating that the early introduction of peanut buttery goodness helps prevent allergies from developing later on in life.
Which is a huge win as far as I am concerned, as I have been saddened over stories covering peanut-butter-free lunch rooms for some time. Think about it: How many children did you know with a peanut butter allergy when you were little? Way too many children are afflicted today. It's time to bring back the peanut butter.
I'm not advocating that you just start spoon feeding the stuff to your child, though. The key to this study is to pay attention to the age range. The doctors involved in the study recommend introducing peanut butter to children between the ages of 4 months to 11 months. Older children who are already at risk for developing an allergy should be tested beforehand.
So, Moms, what do you think? Are you ready to bring peanut butter back? Tell me in the comments. (I'll be making a sandwich.)
My family loves PB but we have serious peanut allergies in the extended family, so we limit where we eat it. Here's an interesting response to the peanut butter study, which was, in part, funded by the National Peanut Board.http://robynobrien.com/science-for-sale-the-funding-behind-the-latest-study-on-peanut-allergy/
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link! There are a lot of studies that have funding sources that seem less than altruistic. In this case, I think the study highlights a worthy conversation for parents to have with doctors - but then again, everyone knows I am biased toward peanut butter. ;)
DeleteHave you ever eaten peanut butter in celery sticks? It's the best!
ReplyDeleteYes! It's like eating peanut butter with an edible spoon!
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