We already said itfood diversification should be started from 4 months for all foods : fruit and vegetables, eggs, meat, fish, milk and dairy products, cereals including bread, but also peanuts and nuts. In particular, the introduction of yogurt during the first year of life was significantly associated with a lower risk of atopic dermatitis and a lower risk of asthma and food allergy at 6 years.
In addition, it is very important to make the family understand that once introduced into the diet, the allergen must be consumed regularly throughout childhood (duration necessary not known) to avoid the onset of an allergy (consumption of an allergen followed by a period of avoidance would be at even greater risk of causing an allergy). This is the reason why the allergens introduced early must be foods usually eaten by the family. In practice, the idea is to introduce 2 g per week of egg and peanut proteins and, if possible, the nuts most often consumed by the family and those around them (see below) .
Introduction can be done at home ; in the absence of severe atopic dermatitis and/or food allergy, it is not necessary to carry out prick tests (PT) beforehand. If the infant already has severe atopic dermatitis and/or a food allergy, experts recommend performing PTs with cooked egg whites, peanuts and nuts in consultation. In the event of difficulty in accessing PT, a specific IgE assay can be considered for: egg white, ovomucoid, peanut, hazelnut, cashew nut. If the tests are negative, the parents can start the home introduction. If positive, refer to allergist.