New study finds giving kids peanut products could prevent allergies

In today’s Health Alert, many parents avoid giving infants and young children peanut products for fear of a serious allergic reaction, but new research suggests this actually might help prevent them.

In fact, a study found that babies given peanut products had a 71% reduced chance of a peanut allergy.

Food allergies have become a huge concern. Nearly 1.5 million kids in the US are estimated to have a peanut allergy, and they’re known to cause some of the most severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.

So, it’s great that research shows early exposure can help prevent a long-term allergy. Here are the details. Researchers followed over 500 children who participated in a previous study on preventing peanut allergies. Half of the children consumed at least six grams of peanut protein per week starting in infancy, while the other half avoided them. In the previous study, when these kids turned five, researchers found that early peanut introduction had reduced the risk of allergy by 81%.

In this new study, researchers wanted to see if early protection would extend into adolescence. Kids were given about five grams of peanut products - that’s equal to about 20 peanuts. They found that over 15% of the kids who avoided peanuts as an infant had developed an allergy, compared to just over 4% of those who ate peanuts early on. So, children given peanut products from infancy until age 5 were 71% less likely to develop a peanut allergy by age 13. Another bonus was that even if kids didn't eat peanuts consistently, the early exposure still provided lasting protection.

Managing peanut allergies has focused on avoiding peanuts entirely, but this study is a game-changer . What advice do you have for parents who hope to avoid a peanut allergy?

Ideally, if there are no other risks, babies between 4 and 6 months old could start with peanut products. Make sure it's a thin consistency, like breast milk or formula, for easy swallowing. Avoid whole peanuts or chunky peanut butter with little ones for choking reasons. A smooth peanut butter mixed into a soft puree is usually good. Start with a small pea-size amount, increasing it every few days until you reach a suitable serving size, about two teaspoons. But please talk to your pediatrician first. Peanut allergies usually start between 6 and 12 months old. And babies with severe eczema or egg allergies should see an allergist first, as they are more likely to develop food allergies early in life.

If your baby tolerates it, try to give them peanut products until they're 5. After that, it's not as crucial for them to eat it regularly, as the protective effect holds up over time. And that’s regardless of whether or not the child eats peanut products through childhood and adolescence, according to the researchers.