A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed some good news about peanut allergies: There may be a way to prevent them.
The findings of this landmark study, a randomized control trial (the gold standard of studies) revealed that early consumption of peanuts may actually reduce a child’s risk of developing an allergy to it.
The rate of food allergy (and our allergy awareness) has increased steadily over the past couple of decades. A 2010 study found that the rate of peanut allergy tripled in the United States between 1997 and 2008; more recent figures indicate that number has now quadrupled. Food allergies are quickly becoming a global health concern, with rates increasing in Western Europe, Australia and a more recent emergence in Asia and Africa.
A peanut allergy typically develops early in life, and is rarely outgrown. Children with a family history of peanut allergy, who have eczema and/or are allergic to eggs, are considered to be at high risk for peanut allergies.
Allergic reactions can range from mild to severe. More mild symptoms include itchy skin, hives (ranging from small spots to large welts), itching in or around the mouth or throat and nausea. Severe reactions can cause throat swelling, constriction of the airway, a severe drop in blood pressure, a racing pulse and loss of consciousness.
For many years the advice has been to avoid giving babies foods associated with allergies—peanuts included. The 2000 guidelines from The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that peanuts be withheld from children at risk of developing allergies until they were 3 years old. But in 2008, the Academy revised their recommendations, stating a lack of scientific evidence to support the earlier recommendation. Unfortunately, at the time, there was no strong evidence to suggest that peanut consumption may help prevent allergies, either; this left both parents and doctors wondering what was the right thing to do.
Study Overview
The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine was conducted in the U.K. and sponsored in part by the National Institutes of Health. It looked at babies aged 4-11 months with eczema and/or an egg allergy, both of which puts the child at high-risk for developing a peanut allergy.
The babies enrolled in the study were assigned to one of two groups. In one group, the families were asked to give their baby peanut-containing products (such as dissolvable peanut puffs or peanut butter mixed into other foods) at least three times a week. The other group was asked to withhold peanut-containing foods until the child turned 5 years old.
Of the 640 babies enrolled, 98% completed the trial. The 13 who did not were unable to tolerate peanuts from the start.
Study Findings
Overall, study results showed that early introduction of peanut products significantly decreased the frequency of peanut allergies among children at high risk for developing this sensitivity. Babies who ate the equivalent of about 4 heaping teaspoons of peanut butter each week were almost 80% less likely to develop a peanut allergy by their 5th birthday. Even counting the 13 children who were unable to complete the study, the data still suggests a strong protective effect from introducing peanuts early on.
These findings are so strong the researchers have decided to continue the trial. Over the next year, they will investigate whether the protective benefits of early peanut exposure are sustained when peanuts are removed from the diet, or whether children need to continue to eat peanut-based foods.
What Does This Mean for Parents?
Before you grab that jar of peanut butter in the pantry, if you have an infant or young child with eczema, egg allergy, or you have a family history of peanut allergy, consult with an allergist or your pediatrician prior to feeding him or her peanut products for the first time. The doctor may request that you come into the office so he or she can help in the event of a more severe reaction.
If you have a child with eczema, egg allergy or have a family history of peanut allergy and your child has been able to tolerate peanut-based foods thus far, it’s likely safe (and beneficial, as this study suggests) to continue feeding him or her these foods. Continue to monitor your child closely for a possible allergic reaction, since food allergies can develop at any time.
If your child is not at high risk for developing a peanut allergy, it’s generally safe for him or her to begin consuming peanut-based foods (such as peanut butter mixed into mashed banana) at the time you introduce him or her to solid foods (around 6 months of age). Make sure to monitor him or her closely, as a food allergy can develop even in the absence of other risk factors.
As always, consult your pediatrician or allergist first if you have concerns about when or how to introduce peanuts into your child’s diet.
17 Responses
I don’t really think that is true I mean like a person is born with allergies and they are not gonna go away
That is simply not true. Such as babies born with major health problems typically are more likely to become allergic to latex as opposed to someone who was not exposed to a lot of latex early on. I now have a minor latex allergy but, I know ppl with my condition that can’t even be around bananas because of the compound in them is similar to latex.
You are not born with allergies, food or any other. They can develop at any time. Sometimes at birth. I personally did not have seasonal allergies until the age of 29.
Did you mean you don’t think it’s true that people are born with food allergies?
I don’t have any known food allergies at 69. My mom would expose us to things such as a blanket that was used by a sibling when he had the one time mumps etc. When I was teaching parents had the “keep them in a bubble” method to protect from allergens and germs. As a former teacher/coach peanuts are a super food and should be treated as such unless there is a known allergy.
you aren’t. You develop them. Allergies are an immune reaction gone awry – your body goes bonkers against a minor threat and pulls down the full physiological response. It’s burning down the house due to a spider.
That is why most people allergic to XXX don’t develop a full blown anaphylactic shock on first exposue. Your body has to build the antigen response. Then, second and subsequent exposures to these allergens can be life threatening.
What you might be referring to is that these immune responses can be congenital, hereditary, or genetic. What this study seems to indicate is that you can reduce the chance to develop some allergies by careful early exposure to some known antigens – as opposed to the “OMG, my child must live in a speck free, allergen free, microbe free environment” alternative.
Tracey is correct, I was 30 when I developed
reactions to foods
I was talking with a researcher into allergens and the human response and they had some very interesting stuff to say. They have been doing trials and are about to start another here in Melbourne Victoria where they. Are supplementing newborns with vitamin d drops and then introducing foods including those high risk between 4-8 months. There initial research found there is a window to introduce high risk foods and doing so earlier seemed too lessen the immune system response to these items. The initial study with adding vitamin d drops seems to carry some weight so they are increasing the study and re doing it to see what happens with a larger group. I think it may even be on royal children’s hospital website the research.
Wow, it is obvious that Dr Penner wasted a lot of time and money on this study. She should have just consulted the 2 commenters that already declared that she is wrong. I guess they know better. I suspect that these commenters are two of the people that don’t vaccinate there children either. Lol.
I have eaten peanut butter all my life and never knew that I could have an allergy. I always would develop welts all over my body but would dismiss it. It was until 3 years ago that I was experiencing more of these welts and other discomfort including a swollen lip that I finally went to the doctor. This is when I discovered I was allergic. Fortunately, I survived all of these years but others have not been as fortunate. I now take it serious and think that others should too. I didn’t realize how many things contain nuts. I really miss peanuts.
Sun butter is a great substitute in recipes and satisfies cravings.
If you spend any time reading up on actual medical literature then you realise that this finding is in fact quite consistent. Food allergies are often associated with affluence and our obsession with environmental control. By all means keep them safe and take care of them but do not automatically assume your child is frail. Give them a chance to develop a healthy immune system. And that only happens with exposure.
This is very interesting. It seems like peanut allergies came out of nowhere. When we were kids PB&J sandwiches were all the rage in the lunchroom, traded like currency for snack packs and such. Then the schools started outlawing peanut-anything. Does this mean kids may be able to one day enjoy the PB&J trade again? Kidding aside, this seems aligned with a lot of the existing science we have about exposure developing tolerance. My guess is this template will continue to find arenas for application.
I wonder how much of the increase in allergies has to do with the latest and greatest GMO peanuts… manipulation of food at the genetic level may be the culprit… it’s only been the latest decades not during baby boomer generations.
What are we doing… allowing Monsanto to destroy our natural foods all while creating a monopoly in seed supply to our farmers?!?!? Ugh!
Very interesting! Actually my daughter fed my son peanut butter when he was still under a year old (my son has eczema induced by diary), and he seemed to have a bad reaction to it; his eye swelled up. So I kept anything peanut away from him, and benadryl on hand. Then one day several months later, my husband fed him some peanut butter again, and a little red spot appeared on my son’s cheek. Then again a few months later and so on. Recently I gave him whole peanuts with no reaction. So either the swollen eye was due to something else or he got over whatever sensitivity he had.
I’ve been hearing about these studies for a few years now but what about us folks that develop allergies late in life after years of enjoying peanuts, dairy, coconut, etc…?
Suddenly resorting to soy milk, sun butter and tree nuts…
Thankfully none of my kids hav any allergy with food. Just one of my sons with penicillin. I did eat lots of peanut butter when pregnant & breastfeeding though cause it was what I craved & loved to eat lol.