Decade-Long Impact: Early Peanut Exposure Reduces Allergies in Children

Mon Oct 20 2025 14:53:47 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

New research shows significant drops in peanut allergies among young children, attributed to updated dietary guidelines encouraging early exposure to allergens.

A decade after a pivotal study transformed pediatric allergen introduction practices, new research highlights the real-world effects of early peanut exposure in babies. Approximately 60,000 children have avoided peanut allergies since guidelines were changed to recommend introducing peanuts as early as four months. The analysis indicates over a 27% decline in allergies among children aged 0 to 3, demonstrating the effectiveness of public health efforts in allergy prevention.

A decade after a landmark study proved that feeding peanut products to young infants could prevent the development of life-threatening allergies, new research reveals the substantial impact of such dietary changes in the real world.

Approximately 60,000 children now have avoided developing peanut allergies since guidelines first issued in 2015 recommended introducing peanut allergens to infants starting as early as four months of age.

Dr. David Hill, an allergist and researcher at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, stated, That’s a remarkable thing, right? His team's study, published in the medical journal Pediatrics on Monday, analyzes electronic health records from various pediatric practices to examine food allergy diagnoses before, during, and after the guideline changes.

Following the initial recommendations in 2015, peanut allergies among children aged 0 to 3 declined by over 27%, with further decline to more than 40% noted after the guidelines were expanded in 2017.

The study highlights that, while there is still an overall increase in food allergies in the U.S., the early introduction of allergens has shown to effectively decrease the prevalence of peanut allergies among vulnerable children.

Previously, doctors had recommended delaying the introduction of peanuts and other allergenic foods until age three, but the groundbreaking Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) trial published by Gideon Lack in 2015 advocated for early introduction, showing an over 80% reduction in the risk of developing peanut allergies.

Notably, the new research supports continuing efforts that encourage the early introduction of peanuts, emphasizing the updates made in the 2021 guidance which suggests starting peanut products between four to six months.

Advocates for those living with food allergies have celebrated these findings, highlighting the importance of early introduction practices in reducing prevalence nationwide.

With parents encouraged to consult pediatricians, the practice of introducing small amounts of allergenic foods is becoming increasingly normalized, leading to a positive shift in dietary recommendations for young children.