Peanut Allergy: Early Exposure May Cut Your Child's Risk

Could giving peanut products to infants at high risk for a peanut allergy reduce their risk of the health issue? New findings published in The New England Journal of Medicine show that it could decrease the risk of this health problem by 80 percent.

"This study clearly shows that early introduction of peanut [products] leads to a decrease in peanut allergy," said lead study author Dr. Rebecca Gruchalla, from the departments of internal medicine and pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and co-author of an accompanying journal editorial, said, via Health Day. "This study clearly shows that early introduction of peanut [products] leads to a decrease in peanut allergy."

However, Gruchalla also cautioned that giving peanut products to high risk infants needs to be done in consultation with a pediatrician and allergy specialist.

Gruchalla cautioned, however, that giving peanut products to high-risk infants needs to be done in consultation with a pediatrician and an allergy specialist.

For the study, researchers selected 640 infants between the ages of 4 and 11 months who were at high risk of developing peanut allergies.

The babies were randomly selected to either eat at least 6 grams of peanuts in food served three or more times a week or to avoid peanut products until they were 5.

Even some of the children who could not tolerate peanuts developed some immunity. By the age of 5, those who ate peanut products were just over 3 percent compared with slightly more than 17 percent among those who avoided foods or snacks with peanuts in them.

"This is a greater than 80 percent reduction in the prevalence of peanut allergy," Lack added.

If a peanut allergy test at 4 months was clear, children could receive peanut products (but not whole peanuts) until the age of 5, according to researchers.

If a skin test showed a reaction to peanut, they should also have a challenge to peanut under a doctor's supervision to see if they can continue to tolerate peanut. If they cannot, they will need treatment to manage the allergy.