Skip to main content

Parents Delaying Introduction of Nuts and Eggs, Tied to Increase in Food Allergy Risk

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 11, 2025.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 11, 2025 -- Most highly allergenic foods are introduced to infants at 6 to 9 months, but introduction of eggs and nuts is delayed beyond age 1 year in a large proportion of infants, according to a study published online April 30 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Suzannah Helps, from University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a population birth cohort study to examine whether the introduction of highly allergenic foods differed in infants with a family history of allergy. The analysis included parent reports of their infants’ diet and introduction of highly allergenic foods at around 6 months (216 parents) and 12 months (193 parents) and infant diet around 24 months of age (139 parents).

The researchers found that most highly allergenic foods were introduced to infants at around 6 to 9 months, although nuts and eggs were introduced much later. One in five children (21 percent) had not been exposed to eggs and 35 percent of infants had not been exposed to nuts by 12 months. Late introduction of any of the highly allergenic foods was not predicted by family allergy history. However, infants with a family history of allergy were more likely to have diets that avoided foods due to allergy (most commonly dairy, soy, eggs, and nuts).

"It's vital that this updated understanding reaches the public, as delayed introduction of these foods continues to contribute to the allergy epidemic," Helps said in a statement.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Generative AI Model for Draft Radiological Reporting Improves Documentation Efficiency

THURSDAY, June 12, 2025 -- Clinical use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated draft radiograph reports is associated with improved radiologist documentation efficiency while...

Mitochondrial Genetics Key to Metastatic Melanoma Immunotherapy Resistance

THURSDAY, June 12, 2025 -- For patients with metastatic melanoma, mitochondrial (MT) haplogroup T (HG-T) is associated with resistance to an anti-programmed cell death...

Talking Therapy Reduces Depression, Anxiety Symptoms in Stroke Survivors

THURSDAY, June 12, 2025 -- For stroke survivors, talking therapy is associated with moderate reductions in depression and large reductions in anxiety symptoms, according to a...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.