It’s common knowledge that children below the age of 3 should avoid peanuts. The reason being is that this early exposure to peanuts and other nuts can cause allergies as they develop - especially if anyone in the family has allergies to (pea)nuts. It is also recommended for mothers to avoid peanuts during their pregnancy and during breastfeeding if you want to be extra cautious in these areas. But as I look around at the people in Asia, peanuts (including peanut oil) is a common food and children of all ages eat it.

What’s worse is this article that my sister passed to me “Early exposure to peanuts may prevent allergy“.  You can imagine what’s going through our minds.  Will someone have a concrete, scientific answer for us worrying parents?  It’s true that peanut allergies don’t seem that common in Asia.  Especially those children who eat peanuts at a very early age.  I know many parents who allow their children under the age of 3 eat peanuts - especially those roasted, salty free peanuts that you find at restaurants as appetizers.  It’s also very common for Chinese to use peanuts in their soups. 

I know research is constantly evolving and moving forward so to have a concrete answer is probably impossible.  Statistically though, Asians do have less peanut allergies than Westerners.  It’s gotten so critical that schools in Canada have banned peanut butter from the classroom and there are warning labels everywhere.   So as parents, do you avoid or indulge?  I must admit though, that I have indulged in Reese Peanut Butter Cups while breastfeeding and have used peanuts in soups for my one-year old.  I won’t say that both children are completely peanut allergy free, because sometimes Vanessa will get little patches of rash on her arm, especially after severe consumption of nuts, but I wouldn’t say that they are at risk either.

Regardless, I think we should always take everything in the media with a grain of salt.  Even published articles and scientific findings.  There are no hard, fast rules to what you should feed or not feed your kids.  In Indonesia, they give their babies a ground rice paste almost from birth and all the Indonesians I know are healthy are horses.  So, maybe western findings aren’t always the most comprehensive, but they usually are a good basis to go with.