Babies should be fed peanut butter from four months to slash deadly allergies, scientists claim

BABIES should start on products containing peanuts from four months old to slash deadly allergies, scientists say.

They must not be fed whole nuts — but can have nutty foods such as peanut butter earlier than was thought.

A study suggests introducing the foods when children are from four to six months old could build tolerance and slash allergies to peanuts, which affect one in 50 kids.

The research from the University of Southampton found that it could cut allergy cases by 77 per cent — saving 10,000 babies a year from having a lifelong risk.

Scientists said current NHS guidance to start at six months does not go far enough.

The study compared allergy rates in 2,000 kids who were introduced to nut foods at different stages in two trials.

It also found that waiting to introduce the peanut products until the children are a year old would lead to only a 33 per cent case reduction in allergy cases.

Prof Graham Roberts said: “Applying simple, low-cost, safe interventions to the whole population could deliver vast benefits for future generations.”