Is Nut Butter Safe for Children Under 2? Science Changed the Answer.

For decades, parents were told to delay nut foods in early childhood to prevent allergies. The LEAP trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015, reversed that guidance entirely. Introducing peanut-based foods before age 1 reduced peanut allergy development by 81% in high-risk infants. Health authorities including the American Academy of Pediatrics have since updated their guidelines to recommend early introduction. Nut butter thinned with breast milk, formula, or warm water is appropriate from around 6 months. The science has moved. Parents deserve to know.