Is Your Baby at Risk for Certain Food Allergies?

A number factors can help you and your pediatrician assess your baby's risk of having food allergies.

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Assess your baby's risk for peanut and egg allergies

Your physician can help you evaluate baby’s risk factors for food allergies and determine when and how to introduce certain foods into baby's diet, like age-appropriate peanut foods or eggs. Careful evaluation can especially benefit babies at high risk for these allergies.

To assess baby’s risk of certain allergies, you’ll need to know whether baby has eczema. Also called atopic dermatitis, eczema is an itchy, red, scaly skin rash. Eczema damages the skin barrier and can increase the risk of developing a food allergy.
 

Is Your Baby At Risk of Developing Food Allergies?

  • Babies who do not have eczema or an egg allergy are considered at LOW RISK for developing peanut allergy. 

    • Introduce age-appropriate peanut foods according to your family preferences and cultural practices 

    When to introduce age-appropriate peanut foods: At the same time as other solid foods. However, peanut food should not be introduced as baby’s first solid food
     

  • Babies with mild or moderate eczema are considered at MODERATE RISK for developing peanut allergy.

    • Introduce age-appropriate peanut foods at home or in a doctor’s office, depending on your preference and your doctor’s preference 
    • When to introduce age-appropriate peanut foods: around 6 months 

    Babies with moderate eczema are considered at INCREASED RISK for developing egg allergy.

    • A 2019 analysis found that early introduction of egg can significantly lower the risk of egg allergy in babies with moderate or severe eczema. Consult with your pediatrician or allergist about early egg introduction. 

  • Babies with severe eczema are considered at HIGH RISK for developing peanut allergy. 

    • Strongly consider a blood test or skin prick test that will help your doctor evaluate your baby’s risk for peanut allergy.
    • If test results show that your baby is very highly likely to react to peanut, seek specialist care if possible, and work with your doctor(s). Do not give peanut foods to a baby who has a peanut allergy.
    • If test results show that your baby is moderately or highly likely to react to peanut, work with your doctor(s) on how to best introduce age-appropriate peanut foods under doctor’s supervision.
    • If baby is not likely to react to peanut, introduce age-appropriate peanut foods at home or in a doctor’s office, depending on the preferences of you and your doctor(s). 
    • When to introduce age-appropriate peanut foods working with your doctor: 4 to 6 months 

    Babies with severe eczema are considered at INCREASED RISK for developing egg allergy.

    • A 2019 analysis found that early introduction of egg can significantly lower the risk of egg allergy in babies with moderate or severe eczema. Consult with your pediatrician or allergist about early egg introduction. 

  • Babies with an egg allergy are considered at HIGH RISK for developing peanut allergy. 

    • Strongly consider a blood test or skin prick test that will help your doctor evaluate your baby’s risk for peanut allergy.
    • If test results show that your baby is very highly likely to react to peanut, seek specialist care if possible, and work with your doctor(s). Do not give peanut foods to a baby who has a peanut allergy. 
    • If test results show that your baby is moderately or highly likely to react to peanut, work with your doctor(s) on how to best introduce age-appropriate peanut foods under doctor’s supervision. 
    • If baby is not likely to react to peanut, introduce age-appropriate peanut foods at home or in a doctor’s office, depending on the preferences of you and your doctor(s). 
    • When to introduce age-appropriate peanut foods working with your doctor: 4 to 6 months.
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