Most babies can try foods such as egg and peanut from around 6 months, once they are ready for solid food. If your baby has eczema or a diagnosed food allergy, or your family has a history of food allergy, eczema, asthma or hay fever, the NHS advises speaking to your GP or health visitor first. That conversation does not automatically mean allergy testing or a hospital feed; it is how you find out whether the usual home approach is suitable or a personal plan is safer.

01

Which route fits your baby?

Use the table as a conversation guide, not as a way to diagnose or grade eczema yourself. If you are unsure which row fits, ask your health visitor or GP before the first taste.

When standard NHS advice may be enough—and when to pause
SituationSensible next step
No eczema, previous reaction or relevant family historyFollow the usual NHS approach: from around 6 months, offer one allergenic food at a time in a small, age-appropriate amount.
Eczema that is mild and well controlled, or a family history of allergySpeak to your health visitor or GP first. They may confirm a home plan; family history alone does not diagnose allergy.
Eczema that is widespread, difficult to control or needs regular prescription treatmentAsk your GP for an individual plan before peanut or egg. Specialist advice or testing may be appropriate, but is not decided by an online checklist.
A previous immediate reaction or an existing food-allergy diagnosisDo not retry the food on your own. Follow the plan from your GP or allergy team.
Several suspected foods, poor growth or persistent gut symptomsArrange a clinical review. Avoid removing major foods without medical and dietetic guidance.
02

Family history does not mean your baby is allergic

A parent or sibling with eczema, asthma, hay fever or food allergy can increase concern, but it does not show that your baby is allergic to the same food. NICE recommends an allergy-focused history before testing: the clinician considers your baby's own symptoms, eczema, feeding and growth as well as family history.

Mild eczema alone does not usually require a panel of allergy tests. If eczema is moderate or severe and remains difficult to control despite appropriate treatment—especially with immediate food symptoms, gut problems or faltering growth—NICE advises further assessment. Do not use online or high-street allergy tests to make feeding decisions.

03

How are common allergens introduced?

When your clinician has not advised a different plan, NHS guidance is to introduce common allergens from around 6 months, one at a time and in small amounts. Use a texture your baby can manage: for example, well-cooked egg or smooth peanut butter thinned into a familiar food. Never give whole nuts because they are a choking hazard.

Choose a time when your baby is well and you can observe them, rather than adding several new foods to the same meal. If the food is tolerated, keep it in the usual diet. Delaying peanut or hen's egg beyond 6 to 12 months without a clinical reason may increase the chance of allergy; an individual plan takes priority when one has been given.

04

What does an allergic reaction look like?

Many reactions appear within minutes and up to 2 hours. Possible signs include hives or an itchy rash, swelling of the lips or face, vomiting, coughing, wheezing or a sudden change in behaviour. Some symptoms—particularly with cow's milk—can be delayed, which is why the food, amount, time and symptoms are more useful than a vague note saying the meal 'didn't agree'.

Stop the food if you suspect a reaction and do not offer it again until you have clinical advice. Contact your GP or NHS 111 for guidance when symptoms are not immediately life-threatening. Call 999 at once for difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, collapse, marked floppiness, blue or grey colour, or another severe and rapidly developing reaction.

05

What should you avoid doing at home?

Do not perform a home 'challenge' after a previous reaction, rub food on the skin as a test or use an internet test kit. NICE says testing should follow an allergy-focused clinical history, and oral food challenges should not be carried out in primary or community care.

Do not remove milk, wheat or several other staple foods for weeks without professional guidance. An unnecessary exclusion diet can make feeding harder and may affect nutrition. Your GP, health visitor, allergy team or paediatric dietitian can decide whether avoidance, testing or supervised reintroduction is appropriate.

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Related United Kingdom guides

These guides help you separate readiness for solid food, routine feeding and individual allergy planning.

View references and primary sources