A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Evidence has confirmed that introducing peanuts early in infancy significantly lowers the risk of developing a peanut allergy later in childhood.
This landmark research tracked over 500 high-risk children up to age 12, finding that those who regularly consumed peanut products from infancy had a markedly lower incidence of peanut allergies compared to those who avoided them.
Over a span of twelve years, researchers from King’s College London, the University of California at San Francisco, and the Children’s Allergy Service at the Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London meticulously tracked over 500 participants who were initially identified as high-risk for peanut allergies due to pre-existing conditions like egg allergies or eczema.
The study found that by age 12, only 4.4% of children who were regularly given peanut products from infancy developed a peanut allergy, compared to 15.4% of children who avoided peanuts.
This dramatic difference underscores the benefits of early dietary interventions in preventing allergies that could affect children’s health long-term.
Michelle F. Huffaker, one of the study’s authors and the director of translational medicine at UCSF, described the results as “extraordinary,” highlighting that such preventive measures are simple yet profoundly effective. “Plain old peanut butter mixed in warm water can work for a 4-month-old — it doesn’t need to be anything fancier than that,” Huffaker advised.
The findings build on the groundwork laid by the LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) trial, which had previously demonstrated the benefits of early peanut introduction up until the age of 5.
The new research confirms these earlier findings and shows that the reduced risk of developing a peanut allergy persists into adolescence.
Despite these encouraging results, many parents remain hesitant, partly due to outdated guidelines.
Until 2000, conventional wisdom recommended avoiding allergenic foods in young children’s diets to prevent allergies, a stance reversed only in 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics after the LEAP trial’s insights.
Today, health authorities advocate introducing peanut-containing foods as early as 4 to 6 months for children at high risk, following a suitable allergy test.
The importance of this dietary approach is even more critical as food allergies continue to escalate.
According to a Washington Post analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food allergies among children in the United States doubled between 2000 and 2018.
This trend reflects a broader concern that over-protectiveness in early childhood diet may contribute to rather than prevent the development of allergies.
Health experts hope that these findings will encourage more families to embrace early peanut introduction.