According to a recent study, getting peanut-containing foods into infants’ diets as early as possible is extremely important. This simple practice can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing peanut allergies. The research indicates that introducing peanuts early can lower the likelihood of a child developing this specific food allergy by as much as 80%. Coupled with a similar 2015 clinical trial in the U.K., the trial also clearly connected more specific early exposure to peanuts to a lower risk of developing allergy.
Food allergies today affect an estimated 8% of children under age 18 in the United States. Of these, a little over 2% have unique difficulty from peanut allergies. Food allergies, particularly newly developed shellfish allergies, have been skyrocketing in the U.S. since the late 1990s. At the time, only 0.4% of children had a peanut allergy. This worrisome trend has led experts from the public health community to advocate for the development of strong prevention strategies.
Nationally recognized pediatrician Dr. Ruchi Gupta is a professor of pediatrics and medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She heads the research effort to keep kids from developing peanut allergies. What’s important is that she raises pediatric visits, especially at four and six months. These appointments can fill up quickly, so she suggests sending families home with easy to understand instructions on how to safely introduce peanuts.
The American Academy of Pediatrics categorizes infants into three risk groups for peanut allergies: low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk. Low-risk infants—those without eczema or egg allergy—can safely be introduced to peanuts as early as possible, and at home. Moderate-risk children, who have mild eczema, need to be introduced to peanuts at around six months. Only high-risk infants with severe eczema or egg allergy should undergo IgE antibody testing. As we’ve long noted, they should talk with an allergist or physician before adding peanuts to their diets.
A new study out this week in Pediatrics makes clear the importance of holding pediatric practices accountable. According to Dr. Gupta, it’s not about reinventing the wheel, but making sure doctors are always following the latest, most accurate allergy guidelines. “Because pediatric visits at four and six months are so busy, this support is critical to ensure families receive clear guidance,” she stated.
“As one of the researchers who worked on the study, Narula explains why pediatricians have a hard time promoting early exposure guidelines. ‘Even though this changed the guidelines since 2017, we still see about 20-30% of pediatricians only promoting this guidance about early exposure,’ she explained.”
The results illustrate a significant shift toward better pediatric practices when training is offered. Approximately 84% of the intervention group were given the correct specific guidance and only about a third (35%) of control participants did not. Narula was adamant that this training has a huge impact on pediatricians’ capacity to bring the right message home.
