There are 6 tree nuts that children and adults are most likely to be allergic to: almond, cashew, hazelnut, pecan, pistachio and walnut.
Less than 2% of people are allergic to tree nuts, but the allergy is usually lifelong. Less than 9% of children overcome their tree nut allergy.
Fortunately, an allergy to a specific tree nut doesn't mean that all tree nuts are off-limits. In fact, many people with a single tree nut allergy can safely eat at least a few other tree nuts.
There are dozens of tree nut species worldwide, and it is not necessary to introduce all of them. Focus on the tree nuts that are common in your diet and readily available in your community. This will help baby develop a tolerance to nuts that he or she will likely encounter in school and everyday life as he or she gets older.
If it's difficult to introduce all 6 most common tree nuts, focus on these 4 to cover the bases:
> almond
> Cashew (also covers pistachio)
> hazelnut
> Walnut (also covers pecan)
Start slowly. About 50% of children who are allergic to one tree nut have also had a reaction to another tree nut.
🥜 What about peanuts? While it's important to introduce peanuts early (and the research on early introduction of peanuts is the most conclusive), they are not classified as tree nuts, but as legumes. For details on how to safely introduce peanuts to your baby, we recommend the " Solid Starts App ( www.solidstarts.com )". There you will find valuable insights on solid food introduction and food allergens.
This article was written by Dr. Sakina Bajowala (Pediatric Allergist & Immunologist, FAAAI) for "Solid Starts".
