Event Details

Guiding Families Through Early Allergen Introduction

Research has shifted our understanding of early introduction of common food allergens, making timely, accurate guidance for new parents more important than ever. This webinar offers clear, evidence-based strategies to help public health professionals support parents to safely introduce common allergens—such as peanuts and eggs—into their infants’ diets and understand the importance of continued exposure.

Intended Audience:
Public health nurses, supervisors, managers, family visitors from Ontario’s Healthy Babies Healthy Children, Nurse-Family Partnership, and Healthy Growth and Development programs. Health care professionals working with pregnant individuals/women or families may also be interested in attending.

By the end of this event, participants will be able to:

Describe practical tools for early allergen introduction.
Apply best practices to communicate the evidence to parents and families in simple and supportive ways.
Apply strategies to address common challenges, including feeding anxiety and inconsistent advice.

Presenter(s): Dr. Stephanie Erdle and Ranjit Dhanjal

Dr. Stephanie Erdle, MD, FRCPC, is a Pediatric Allergist at BC Children’s Hospital and Clinical Assistant Professor with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Toronto and Clinical Immunology and Allergy training at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Erdle is the Director of the Pediatric Clinical Immunology and Allergy training program at UBC and a Clinical Researcher with the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, with a research interest in food allergy prevention and early intervention.

Ranjit Dhanjal is the Vice President, Education and Engagement at Food Allergy Canada, a national charity and the country’s leading patient organization committed to educating, supporting, and advocating for the 3 million Canadians impacted by food allergy. Ranjit leads patient and public engagement initiatives and plays a central role in advancing food allergy prevention education across Canada. She led the development of Eat Early. Eat Often. in partnership with the CSACI, the national resource supporting the early introduction of allergenic foods to help prevent the development of food allergy, and she serves as the primary lead on prevention education for both patients and healthcare providers, working to translate emerging evidence into practical, consistent guidance.

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Public Health Ontario, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by Public Health Ontario.

Accessibility

Public Health Ontario is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact 647-260-7100 or capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.

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Contact

Capacity Building

capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca

Published 26 Feb 2026