Lasting Protection From Peanut Allergy

Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies. It often begins in childhood and usually lasts for life. Symptoms include hives, lip swelling, and trouble breathing. It can even be deadly.

Several years ago, an NIH-funded study found that kids who began eating foods with peanuts as infants were less likely to become allergic to them. By age 5, their risk of peanut allergy had dropped by 81% compared to kids who had avoided peanuts. Most of the peanut-eating kids stayed allergy-free up to age 6.

In a new follow-up study, researchers asked how long this protection could last. They tracked about 500 of the original study participants up to about age 13. They found that only one child in the peanut-eating group had developed a new peanut allergy.

Overall, less than 5% of the peanut-eating kids were allergic at age 13. For comparison, about 15% of the peanut-avoiding kids were allergic. Early and regular exposure to peanuts in childhood had reduced teens’ peanut allergy risk by 71%.

The results show that beginning to eat peanut products in infancy can have lasting benefits. But parents should talk with a doctor first. A doctor can test to make sure the child is not already allergic.

“If widely implemented, this safe, simple strategy could prevent tens of thousands of cases of peanut allergy in the United States each year,” says Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, director of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.