Tiffany mcleod followed the advice to the letter. She has food allergies, and was worried that her children might too. Her doctor recommended that she avoid eating nuts while pregnant or breastfeeding, and to keep the kids away from them until the age of 3."Youwanttodowhat'sbestforyourchild," she says. "And you figure that your doctor knows what that is." Her doctor was following American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines issued in 2000. But by 2008, the AAP had backed off from this recommendation. Then last year, it reversed course. A large study had found that regular exposure to peanuts from 4 months of age reduces the risk of allergy by about 80 per cent. McLeod, who lives in Texas, had both of her babies in the years between the changing advice. She learned the hard way that her youngest has a life-threatening allergy. "We had to rush her to the emergency room. It was extremely scary," she says.
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