Peanut allergies in children have dropped 40% in the US

A decade after groundbreaking research showed that feeding peanut products to infants could prevent allergies, new data confirms the strategy is working in real life.

National guidance was first issued in 2015, recommending that children be fed peanut allergens as early as four months of age.

A study recently published in the Pediatrics journal found that US peanut allergy rates among children aged 0–3 fell by more than 27% after 2015 and over 40% after 2017.

Researchers estimate that since the guidelines were introduced, about 60,000 US children have avoided developing food allergies, including 40,000 who would have otherwise suffered from peanut allergies.

The findings provide strong evidence that early exposure to allergens is associated with lower rates of peanut allergy nationwide.

Despite the success, adoption has been slow. Only 29% of pediatricians and 65% of allergists reported following them by 2017, partly due to confusion about how to safely introduce peanuts outside clinical settings.

Medical experts suggest that small amounts of foods like peanut butter, yogurt, and nut butters at a young age can help the immune system build tolerance safely.