Introducing Allergens to Baby: Peanut, Egg & Dairy Guide

Most babies are ready to start allergen foods around 6 months, roughly when they can sit with support and move food to the back of their mouth. Don't wait until "after the risky foods are done" — early, regular exposure is the current advice. If your baby has severe eczema or a known egg allergy, talk to your pediatrician or an allergist first; they may want a supervised first taste.

Before the first taste, get these in place:

• A smooth, thin texture your baby already handles — thin peanut butter with water or a purée thinned with breast milk or formula works well.
• A small amount prepared separately, so a reaction is easy to trace to one food.
• Plan for a morning or early-afternoon serving, when your baby is healthy, rested, and you're free to watch for a few hours.
• No new foods that day, and no other allergens for the next two to three days.

Serve the first taste, then wait about ten minutes and offer a little more if all is well. Keep oral antihistamine dosing guidance from your pediatrician on hand, and know the location of your nearest urgent care.

How to Introduce Peanut Safely: First Serving, Amounts, and Weekly Maintenance

Peanut is one of the most common allergens, so introduce it deliberately rather than by accident. Never give whole peanuts or chunky peanut butter — both are choking hazards. Use smooth peanut butter thinned out, or peanut powder mixed into food.

For the first serving:

1. Mix about 2 teaspoons of smooth peanut butter with 2–3 tablespoons of warm water, breast milk, or formula until it thins to a yogurt-like consistency.
2. Offer a small taste — roughly a quarter of a teaspoon — on a spoon.
3. Wait 10–15 minutes and watch for hives, swelling, vomiting, or unusual fussiness.
4. If there's no reaction, offer the rest of the serving gradually.

Do the first taste at home, in the morning or early afternoon, so you have hours of daylight to spot a delayed reaction. Avoid introducing peanut when your baby is sick, teething badly, or trying several new foods at once.

After the first successful serving, maintenance matters. Offer peanut in some form roughly 2–3 times per week to keep tolerance. Stir thinned peanut butter into oatmeal, yogurt, or mashed banana. Keep a simple note of each serving — date, amount, and any reaction — so patterns are easy to spot.

How to Introduce Egg: Starting with Well-Cooked, Stepping Up Textures

Start with egg that is fully cooked until both the white and yolk are firm. Well-cooked egg is easier for babies to tolerate than runny or raw egg, and it lowers the risk of foodborne illness.

Here's a simple progression:

1. First taste: Offer a small amount — about a quarter to half a teaspoon of scrambled egg or a strip of firm omelette. Wait 10–15 minutes, then offer the rest of the serving if there's no reaction.
2. First week: Repeat small servings on roughly 3 separate days.
3. Step up textures: After a week or so of well-cooked egg, move to softer forms like a slightly moist scramble, then eventually dishes with lightly cooked egg (such as pancakes or French toast) once your baby handles them well.

Keep plain egg for the first few introductions — no butter-heavy scrambles or egg mixed into a dish with other new foods. That way, if a reaction happens, you know what caused it. Once egg is established, aim to serve it about once or twice a week to maintain tolerance.

How to Introduce Dairy: Yogurt and Cheese First, Milk Later

Start dairy with full-fat plain yogurt or mild cheese around the same time as other allergens — typically at about 6 months, once your baby is eating solids reliably.

1. Serve a small first portion: roughly 1–2 teaspoons of plain whole-milk yogurt or a few small shreds of soft cheese.
2. Watch for reactions for the rest of the day, as with peanut and egg.
3. If all is well, offer dairy again over the next few days, gradually increasing to a typical serving — about a couple of tablespoons of yogurt or a thin slice of soft cheese.
4. Keep it in rotation a few times a week, like the other allergens.

Choose plain, unsweetened yogurt — flavored versions hide added sugar. Pick pasteurized cheeses; soft options like mozzarella or mild cheddar are easiest to manage. Skip anything mold-ripened, such as brie, for now.

Hold off on cow's milk as a main drink until around 12 months. Small amounts in cooking or mixed foods are fine earlier, but milk alone doesn't replace formula or breast milk and lacks the iron babies need. After the first birthday, whole milk becomes a normal part of meals.

Spotting a Reaction: What's Normal, What's Not, and When to Call for Help

Most first reactions happen within about two hours of eating. Feed the allergen in the morning or early afternoon so you can watch your baby during waking hours, not overnight.

Normal and not a concern:

• A few small red spots around the mouth that fade within the hour
• Existing eczema looking slightly redder for a short time
• Extra drooling or fussiness from a new texture

Possible allergic reaction — stop feeding and watch closely:

• Raised hives or widespread welts away from the mouth
• Repeated vomiting
• Swelling of the lips, face, or tongue

Call emergency services immediately if your baby has:

• Trouble breathing, noisy breathing, or persistent coughing
• Floppiness, pale or bluish skin, or unresponsiveness
• Swelling of the tongue or throat

For milder but clear reactions like hives or vomiting, call your pediatrician the same day. Note what your baby ate, how much, and when symptoms started. Do not re-offer that food until your doctor advises you. Photograph any rash before it fades — it helps the appointment.

Your First-Week Allergen Introduction Checklist and Tracking Log

A simple log keeps you consistent, which matters more than anything else in week one. Use a notebook or your phone — just record it the same way each time.

For each new allergen, write down:

• The food and form (for example, "thin peanut butter mixed into oatmeal")
• Date and time of the first taste
• Amount offered (roughly a quarter to half a teaspoon to start)
• Any skin, tummy, or breathing changes in the next two hours
• Date of the second and third exposures

Your first-week checklist:

1. Pick one allergen to start — typically peanut, egg, or plain whole-milk yogurt.
2. Offer the first taste in the morning, on a day with no vaccinations or illness planned.
3. Watch for about two hours before other activities.
4. Repeat the same allergen two or three more times that week, in similar amounts.
5. Only add a new allergen after several comfortable exposures to the first.

Keep the log for at least the first few weeks of each food. If a reaction appears later, those notes make the conversation with your pediatrician much easier.