Baby Ledger AIFor years, parents were told to hold peanut back. Then the research flipped, and current published guidance points most families the opposite way: early, regular peanut introduction rather than delay. This guide covers who that guidance applies to, who needs a doctor first, the published feeding forms, and the published amounts. It teaches what the guidance says; it does not set a plan for your child. That plan comes from your child's doctor. (This page is part of our broader allergen introduction guide.)
First: find out which group your baby is in
The NIAID 2017 Addendum Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy in the United States - issued by an expert panel sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics - describe three groups of infants:
- Severe eczema, egg allergy, or both. The guidelines recommend evaluation first, with introduction as early as 4 to 6 months of age only after that evaluation - which may include allergy testing and, depending on results, a supervised first feeding in the office.
- Mild-to-moderate eczema. The guidelines describe introducing peanut-containing foods around 6 months of age.
- No eczema and no food allergy. The guidelines describe introducing peanut-containing foods freely, in age-appropriate forms, according to family preference and cultural practice.
Whether eczema counts as "severe" is a clinical judgment - if you are unsure which group your baby is in, that alone is a reason to ask your pediatrician first. And a baby who has already reacted to peanut is not in any of these groups; that is an allergist referral, never a home retry.
Why the advice changed: the LEAP trial and the NIAID addendum
The turning point was the LEAP trial (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy), published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015. It enrolled infants at high risk of peanut allergy - babies aged 4 to 11 months with severe eczema, egg allergy, or both - and randomly assigned them either to eat peanut regularly or to avoid it until age 5. The babies who ate peanut regularly developed peanut allergy far less often: the trial reported a reduction of roughly 70 to 86 percent, depending on the infants' sensitization status at enrollment. In response, NIAID convened an expert panel and issued the Addendum Guidelines in January 2017. As of 2026, those guidelines remain the current US guidance on peanut introduction and have not been superseded.
When babies are typically ready
CDC guidance places general readiness for solid foods at around 6 months of age, and not before 4 months. For peanut specifically, the NIAID addendum advises that peanut-containing food should not be your baby's very first solid - it describes introducing peanut only after the baby has handled other solid foods, and only on a day when the baby is healthy. Where your baby's timing lands inside those published windows is your pediatrician's call.
Thinning peanut butter for a baby: the published forms
Two forms are consistently ruled out by published guidance as choking hazards for babies and young children: whole peanuts and thick, unthinned globs of peanut butter. Neither is ever an infant food. The NIAID addendum's home-feeding instructions instead describe forms that a baby can actually swallow safely:
| Form | How the NIAID feeding instructions describe it |
|---|---|
| Thinned smooth peanut butter | 2 teaspoons of smooth peanut butter mixed with 2 to 3 teaspoons of hot water, stirred until smooth and cooled before serving; or the same 2 teaspoons stirred into a tolerated puree |
| Peanut flour or peanut butter powder | 2 teaspoons mixed into a tolerated puree, such as fruit or a baby cereal |
| Dissolvable peanut puff snacks | A measured portion of peanut puffs, softened with water for younger babies |
Per the addendum, each of those example servings delivers about 2 grams of peanut protein.
How much and how often, as the guidance describes it
None of these numbers are our recommendation - they are what the NIAID addendum publishes; your pediatrician adapts or overrides them for your child.
- The first feeding. The NIAID home-feeding instructions describe offering a small taste of the prepared serving first, waiting about 10 minutes, and continuing with the rest only if no reaction appears - with your full attention on the baby during the feeding and for about 2 hours afterward.
- The ongoing pattern. For higher-risk infants who tolerate introduction, the addendum describes a maintenance pattern of roughly 6 to 7 grams of peanut protein per week, spread over three or more feedings.
What to watch during and after
Most first feedings go fine. You are watching so you can act quickly if something does happen. Reactions can be mild to moderate or, rarely, severe.
Mild to moderate signs may include: a few hives or redness around the mouth or on the skin, mild swelling of the lips or face, an itchy or runny nose, vomiting or diarrhea, or fussiness that seems tied to the food. Call your pediatrician the same day before any further feedings.
Severe signs (anaphylaxis) can include: trouble breathing, wheezing or noisy breathing, swelling of the tongue, throat, or lips that affects breathing or swallowing, repetitive coughing, a hoarse or weak cry, pale or bluish skin, floppiness, or sudden lethargy. Call 911 immediately, and if your child has prescribed epinephrine, use it exactly as your doctor instructed.
These are common signs, not diagnostic criteria. If you are unsure, treat it as a reaction and call.
Keeping peanut in the diet
Early introduction is not a one-time event in the published guidance - the NIAID maintenance concept assumes peanut stays in the diet regularly after a successful start. If peanut has dropped out of your baby's rotation for a long stretch, mention it at the next pediatrician visit rather than guessing. A dated log of each feeding and any reaction is exactly the record an allergist will ask for.
Hidden peanut on labels (and the log-and-recheck habit)
Once peanut is in your baby's life, the job shifts to labels. On US packaged food, FALCPA requires peanut to be declared in plain English in the ingredient list or a Contains statement. But imported products, unpackaged foods, and non-compliant labels do not give you that safety net, and peanut travels under other names: groundnut, arachis oil (peanut oil), beer nuts, monkey nuts, goobers, mandelonas, nut meat, peanut flour. It also hides in satay and other sauces, baked goods, granola, and some chili recipes. And "may contain peanuts" lines are voluntary and unregulated in the US; our guide to "may contain" and hidden allergens covers what those warnings do and do not tell you. If you shop imported groceries, the free Imported-Food Allergen Cheat Sheet shows how the major allergens appear on Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Spanish labels.
This is where a log-and-recheck habit earns its keep. Baby Ledger AI lets you log each peanut feeding and note any reaction with a timestamp, so the history lives in one place. The AllerSee™ scanner built into the app then cross-checks ingredient lists against the allergen profile you build for your child - it knows peanut's alternative names, so groundnut or arachis oil flags against a peanut entry on future labels, including foreign-language labels it reads in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German, and Cyrillic alongside English (the app interface is in English). Two honest limits: the scanner flags what it reads rather than ruling any product safe, and false negatives are possible, so it never replaces reading the full label yourself; and when the product database has nothing, it gets more cautious instead of waving the product through. The safety layer (allergen cross-check, barcode scan, FDA recall check) is free and unlimited on every plan; AI photo scans and Saurus questions have daily caps because each call costs real money to run. See how the AllerSee scanner works
Frequently asked questions
How much peanut butter should a baby have the first time?
The NIAID 2017 addendum's example first serving is 2 teaspoons of smooth peanut butter, thinned, delivering about 2 grams of peanut protein - a small taste first, then the rest after about 10 minutes if nothing appears. That is the published description, not a prescription; confirm your baby's amount with your pediatrician.
How do you thin peanut butter for a baby?
The NIAID feeding instructions describe mixing 2 teaspoons of smooth peanut butter with 2 to 3 teaspoons of hot water, stirring until smooth, and letting it cool before serving - or stirring the same amount into a puree your baby already tolerates.
Can babies have whole peanuts or peanut butter from a spoon?
No. Published guidance treats whole peanuts and thick globs of peanut butter as choking hazards for babies and young children. Infant-appropriate forms are thinned smooth peanut butter, peanut powder mixed into puree, or dissolvable peanut puffs.
My baby has severe eczema or an egg allergy. Can I introduce peanut at home?
Not without an evaluation first. The NIAID guidelines recommend this group be assessed by a doctor before peanut introduction, potentially with allergy testing and a supervised first feeding in the office. Start with your pediatrician.
What if my baby reacts to peanut?
For severe signs (trouble breathing, swelling that affects breathing or swallowing, pallor, floppiness), call 911 immediately and use prescribed epinephrine if you have it. For milder signs, call your pediatrician the same day. Either way, do not offer peanut again at home until a doctor tells you how to proceed.