Advice to feed babies peanuts early and often helped thousands of kids avoid allergies
Summary
New guidelines recommending that babies eat peanuts early in life have been linked to a decrease in peanut allergies among children in the U.S. Since the recommendations first came out in 2015 and were expanded in 2017, the rate of peanut allergies in young children has dropped significantly. Studies have found that introducing peanuts to infants can reduce the risk of developing these allergies by more than 80%.Key Facts
- In 2015, health experts began recommending giving infants peanuts to help prevent allergies.
- Since then, peanut allergies among children under age 3 have decreased by over 27%, and more improvements were noted after 2017.
- Around 60,000 children have been estimated to avoid food allergies since the guidelines were implemented.
- About 8% of children continue to have food allergies, with over 2% specifically allergic to peanuts.
- The research, analyzed by Dr. David Hill and others, involved examining health records from multiple pediatric practices.
- The idea that early introduction of peanuts could prevent allergies comes from a 2015 study called the LEAP trial by Gideon Lack.
- Despite evidence, not all pediatricians and allergists have adopted the new guidelines fully; surveys show partial compliance.
- The study encourages that peanuts and other allergens should be introduced to infants between four and six months without prior screening.
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