A decade after the landmark 2015 LEAP study established the importance of introducing peanut products to infants to thwart life-threatening allergies, new research confirms a tangible decline in peanut allergies. Since these revised guidelines recommended introducing peanuts as early as four months of age, about 60,000 children have reportedly avoided developing peanut allergies.
According to Dr. David Hill, an allergist from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the analysis of electronic health records indicates that peanut allergies among children aged 0 to 3 have decreased by over 27% since the guidelines were issued, with a staggering 40% drop following further recommendations in 2017.
“There are fewer kids with food allergies today than if we didn’t implement this public health effort,” Dr. Hill said, underscoring the effectiveness of the early introduction of peanut products.
The efforts, however, have not curbed the overall increase in food allergies across the U.S., where approximately 8% of children, including over 2% with peanut allergies, are affected. The long-held belief that delaying exposure to potential allergens could prevent allergies has been overturned, following the 2015 findings which showed that early exposure offers a protective effect lasting into adolescence.
Despite the positive results, a significant portion of pediatricians have yet to fully embrace the new guidelines. Surveys indicate that only 29% of pediatricians and 65% of allergists are following the expanded recommendations, leading to confusion among parents and medical professionals regarding the optimal approach to early allergen exposure.
The recent study provides encouraging evidence that the early introduction of peanuts may be gaining traction amongst parents and medical practitioners. Advocates point out that these developments could herald a decrease in the incidence of peanut allergies nationwide.
Health professionals stress that introducing allergenic foods should start between four and six months of age, and can be done safely with small amounts of peanut butter or other allergenic products. Insights from dieticians like Tiffany Leon, who followed the new guidelines for her children, further emphasize the positive impact of early allergen introduction.
This mounting evidence suggests a crucial shift in how pediatric healthcare can address potentially life-threatening allergies, making early dietary exposure a key component in allergy prevention strategy.
