Babies Who Eat Peanuts Early May Avoid Allergy
The findings were striking. After 5 years, the kids who ate peanut snacks on a regular basis were far less likely to be allergic to them than the group that didn’t.
Among children who were already mildly allergic to peanuts when they entered the study, 35% of those who avoided peanuts developed an allergy compared to roughly 11% who ate them.
Among those who started with a skin test result that showed they didn't have a peanut allergy, about 14% of kids who avoided peanuts became allergic to them compared to just 2% of those ate them regularly.
“It’s a major landmark study,” says Scott Sicherer, MD, a professor of pediatrics, allergy and immunology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Sicherer and other experts say parents shouldn’t be tempted to start feeding their babies foods that have peanuts in them, particularly if the child is at high risk of allergies or they have a parent with allergies or asthma.
“I don’t want the whole world to go out and start giving their 4-month-old peanut without being evaluated first if they are in that high allergy group,” Grunchalla says.
Before the kids in the peanut group started the study, she says, they first went through an oral challenge supervised by a doctor to make sure they could safely eat peanuts. Even kids who don’t have a worrisome skin test can still react to a food. That’s why the challenge was crucial before they tried the foods at home.
It’s also not clear whether children will continue to keep their tolerance to peanuts if they don’t eat them regularly.
For that reason, Lack is still following the kids in the study to see if the differences persist over time.
“That’s the key question. 'Has the immune system really been modified for life?' And we don’t know the answer,” Grunchalla says.
Meanwhile, for children and adults who are already allergic to peanuts, there is little they can do except to avoid eating them. That can be hard, as peanuts can hide unsuspected in foods. Although food labels help, foods prepared at restaurants can be especially troublesome. Immunotherapy, or allergy shots, may not work for food allergies, and it can trigger very severe reactions.
Babies Who Eat Peanuts Early May Avoid Allergy
‘Landmark’ Results
The findings were striking. After 5 years, the kids who ate peanut snacks on a regular basis were far less likely to be allergic to them than the group that didn’t.
Among children who were already mildly allergic to peanuts when they entered the study, 35% of those who avoided peanuts developed an allergy compared to roughly 11% who ate them.
Among those who started with a skin test result that showed they didn't have a peanut allergy, about 14% of kids who avoided peanuts became allergic to them compared to just 2% of those ate them regularly.
“It’s a major landmark study,” says Scott Sicherer, MD, a professor of pediatrics, allergy and immunology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Cautions for Parents
Sicherer and other experts say parents shouldn’t be tempted to start feeding their babies foods that have peanuts in them, particularly if the child is at high risk of allergies or they have a parent with allergies or asthma.
“I don’t want the whole world to go out and start giving their 4-month-old peanut without being evaluated first if they are in that high allergy group,” Grunchalla says.
Before the kids in the peanut group started the study, she says, they first went through an oral challenge supervised by a doctor to make sure they could safely eat peanuts. Even kids who don’t have a worrisome skin test can still react to a food. That’s why the challenge was crucial before they tried the foods at home.
It’s also not clear whether children will continue to keep their tolerance to peanuts if they don’t eat them regularly.
For that reason, Lack is still following the kids in the study to see if the differences persist over time.
“That’s the key question. 'Has the immune system really been modified for life?' And we don’t know the answer,” Grunchalla says.
More Hope on the Horizon
Meanwhile, for children and adults who are already allergic to peanuts, there is little they can do except to avoid eating them. That can be hard, as peanuts can hide unsuspected in foods. Although food labels help, foods prepared at restaurants can be especially troublesome. Immunotherapy, or allergy shots, may not work for food allergies, and it can trigger very severe reactions.
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