New research shows a major and significant reduction in childhood peanut allergies on the heels of guidelines that parents introduce peanuts in infancy.
The study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, “is one of the first reports suggesting that clinical research findings and subsequent guidelines on early allergen introduction may be translating into meaningful real-world impact,” according to the published report in the journal.
Early exposure works to prevent peanut allergies, Northeastern University professors explained, and there are steps parents can take to introduce peanut products to their babies.
A potentially life-threatening allergy
Food allergies are on the rise, affecting 8% of children in the U.S. in recent years, 2.2% of whom have peanut allergies, according to the Pediatric commentary.
The Mayo Clinic says peanut allergies are particularly scary because they are the most common cause of a life-threatening reaction to food known as anaphylaxis, when airways constrict and blood pressure drops.
This kind of reaction and other possible symptoms, including hives and diarrhea, could explain why parents initially avoided exposing their babies to peanut products as allergy rates soared.
But a decade ago, research known as the LEAP study showed that early introduction to peanuts decreased the frequency of peanut allergy development among children at high risk.
