Leading medical societies around the world have issued new guidelines in support of early and sustained allergen introduction.
There has been a breakthrough in our understanding of childhood food allergy. Recent science has shown that early and sustained allergen introduction can significantly reduce the chances of a child developing a food allergy. And that’s why leading medical societies from all over the world have now issued new guidelines in support of early and sustained allergen introduction.
With several guidelines written by various leading experts around the world, here’s a quick summary and roundup with what parents need to know:
- It’s important to start allergen introduction as early as 4 months of age
- Once isn’t enough, you have to continue feeding the allergen frequently
- While all allergens are important, peanut and egg are the biggest focus
Our Overview of the Guidelines
Here's a quick overview of the guidelines and their recommendations for early allergen introduction:

Early Allergen Introduction Guidelines: What Medical Organizations Around the World Are Saying
USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020
American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI), 2020
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), 2020
National Institutes of Health (NIH), January 2017
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), January 2017
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), September 2017
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), April 2019

European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), 2020
The British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI), 2018

Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (CSACI), 2020
Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS), January 2019

Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), 2016
What is Early and Sustained Allergen Introduction?
Thanks to landmark clinical trials on food allergy prevention, we now know that babies need to be exposed to multiple allergenic foods, on a regular basis, and starting at an early age to help reduce their risk of developing a food allergy.
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Starting Early: Based on the research, health organizations from around the world are recommending allergen introduction as early as 4-11 months of age.
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Keep Going for Several Months: Feeding your baby allergenic foods once or twice has not been shown to reduce the risk of developing a food allergy sometime in the future. Therefore, as important as starting early is continuing to expose your baby to allergenic foods multiple times a week over many months.
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All health-related content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your own pediatrician in connection with any questions regarding your baby’s health.
See the FDA Peanut Allergy Qualified Health Claim at the bottom of our homepage.
About Annie Bunje: Annie Bunje is Marketing Director for Ready, Set, Food!