The ten allergens, and when each one comes in
For years the advice was to delay them. The evidence turned all the way around: introducing them early and consistently lowers the risk of allergy instead of raising it.
The reversal was not a small one. The LEAP study, published in 2015, measured an 81 % reduction in peanut allergy when peanut was introduced early rather than avoided. Guidelines have pointed the other way ever since.
The ten, with their window
| Food | When to introduce it |
|---|---|
| Egg | Ideally between 4 and 6 months |
| Peanut | Ideally between 4 and 6 months |
| Tree nuts | From 6 months |
| Salmon | From 6 months |
| White fish | From 6 months |
| Soy | From 6 months |
| Sesame | From 6 months |
| Shrimp | From 6 months |
| Wheat | From 6 or 7 months |
| Dairy | From 8 months |
The two mistakes seen most often
Whole peanuts, or pieces of them
Never. It's a choking hazard at this age. It goes in as unsweetened peanut butter, thinned out, or a small amount mixed into something the baby already eats.
Introducing it once and forgetting it
The protective effect doesn't come from the first spoonful: it comes from keeping it up. At least once a week, regularly. A single introduction followed by months without it does not protect.
If there is a family history of food allergy, or your baby has moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, talk to your paediatrician before starting. This is the case where the general recommendation does not apply without a professional involved.
In NomiNest this isn't a table, it's your baby
The app works from the data you already log, and compares your baby against themselves rather than against an average.
Meet NomiNestSources. General guidance based on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), ESPGHAN and the World Health Organization. The 81 % figure comes from the LEAP study (Du Toit et al., NEJM, 2015).
NomiNest is not a medical device and this guide does not replace your paediatrician's guidance. The information is general and orientative: every baby is different, and the professional who sees yours is the one who knows them.