Peanut Allergy Cases Drop Thanks to Early Introduction of Foods
A new study shows that giving babies peanut products early in life may help prevent them from developing peanut allergies. This change in how we feed babies has made a real difference.
Since 2015, when doctors started suggesting parents give peanut products to babies as young as 4 months old, about 60,000 children have been spared from developing this allergy.
Dr. David Hill, an allergy doctor and researcher, stated that there are fewer kids with food allergies now because of this public health effort.
Researchers looked at health records and found that peanut allergies in children under 3 years old dropped by over 27% after the new advice was given to parents of high-risk kids in 2015. After the advice was expanded in 2017, allergies dropped by over 40%.
Peanut allergies happen when the body mistakenly thinks peanut proteins are harmful. This causes the body to release chemicals that lead to allergic reactions.
For years, doctors told parents to wait until their children were 3 years old before giving them peanuts and other foods that could cause allergies. However, in 2015, Dr. Gideon Lack showed that giving babies peanut products early could cut the risk of developing peanut allergies by over 80%.
Even though the study was clear, it took some time for the new advice to be put into practice. Some doctors and parents were unsure about the best way to give peanuts to babies safely.
Now, experts suggest giving peanuts and other common allergy-causing foods to babies between 4 and 6 months old, without doing allergy tests first. Parents should talk to their doctor if they have any worries.
Small tastes of peanut butter, yogurt, and other nut butters can help the immune system get used to these foods in a safe way. This simple step can protect our children and strengthen families by reducing the burden of allergies.
