Studies have found that peanut allergy in children follows advice on feeding allergens to children

An estimated 40,000 children avoided a peanut allergy diagnosis when guidelines for exposing children to food allergens were changed for the first time, according to new research.

The dramatic decline in childhood peanut allergies comes a decade after a Water study found that feeding children peanut products reduced their chances of developing allergies by 80%.

For decades, parents were advised to avoid feeding children common allergens, such as peanuts. In 2015, the guidelines shifted to peanuts for high-risk children and expanded two years later.

A study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics found that the rate of peanut allergy in children under 3 years old dropped by nearly 43% after recommendations were expanded in 2017.

“What surprised me was the magnitude of the results,” said Dr. David Hill, an allergist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and senior author of the study. Even being able to say that the allergy rate would be “great news, but the fact that we’ve actually seen a reduction in the onset of new allergies to food in children under 3 is incredible.”

Hill and his colleagues analyzed electronic health records from nearly 50 pediatric practices to track food allergy diagnoses in about 120,000 children between the ages of 0 and 3.

Children are considered newly allergic if they receive a diagnosis code from a provider for a food allergy and are prescribed an EpiPen, Hill said.

A decline in diagnosis was found while only about 29% of pediatricians and 65% of allergists reported following the broad guidelines published in 2017, the survey found.

According to a commentary accompanying the study, confusion and uncertainty about the best way to introduce peanuts early in life led to the delay. Initially, medical experts and parents alike questioned whether the practice could be accepted outside of tightly controlled clinical settings.

Song Poblet, executive director of the nonprofit Food Allergy Research and Education, who was not involved in the study, praised it for its focus on real-world data.

While it’s clear that the practice of “eat first, eat often” for foods that cause allergic reactions works in a clinical setting, “it’s really important to know that in the real world, it can also reduce the incidence and prevalence for children,” she said.

When someone is allergic to peanuts, their body responds to peanut proteins as if they are dangerous. The immune system tries to fight them off, causing symptoms that range from hives and diarrhea to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition.

Poblet said the findings highlight the need to change policy to further reduce the number of life-threatening allergy diagnoses. She said it could include the USDA including peanut products in their baby food packages.

According to a commentary on the new study, the prevalence of food allergies is increasing, with 2.2% of children in the United States having a peanut allergy. According to Hill, in addition to delaying allergenic foods, other risk factors include cesarean section births and antibiotic exposure.

“It’s just a call to redouble our efforts to understand why children develop food allergies and how we can better treat and ultimately cure these diseases,” Hill said. Hill said.

Since the time the researchers studied, dietary guidelines for children have expanded. In 2021, the Academy of Pediatrics recommended introducing major food allergens, including peanuts and eggs, to all infants between four and six months of age.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.