There Was A Decrease In The Number Of Babies Who Were Allergic To Peanuts.
Key Sentence:
- According to a new study, changes to food allergy guidelines have resulted in a 16% reduction in peanut allergies in infants.
Research led about the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), presented this Sunday at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's annual virtual meeting, also found a significant increase in parents incorporating nuts into their babies' diets.
Introducing peanuts early in a child's life has been shown in randomized controlled trials to prevent peanut allergy. However, MCRI PhD student and lead author of the study, Victoria Soriano, said the study was the first to test the approach at home and analyze the effects of changing peanut allergy guidelines.
International guidelines on infant nutrition were amended in 2016 to recommend introducing peanuts and other allergenic foods 12 months ago. "In the 1990s, several guidelines recommended avoiding allergic foods until 1 to 3 years of age, and avoiding these foods in early childhood became widespread," says Ms. Soriano.
"This board began to be phased out in 2008 based on growing evidence that delaying food allergies is associated with an increased risk of food allergies. However, there is not yet sufficient evidence to provide concrete recommendations on how old these foods should be introduced.
The Melbourne study compared data from 1,933 infants enrolled in the EarlyNuts survey in 2018-2019 with 5,276 infants enrolled in the HealthNuts survey in 2007-2011. The study found that the prevalence of peanut allergy was 2.6% in 2018-2019 compared to 3.1% in 2007-2011, down 16% after reporting migration and population change.
However, severe responses to the early introduction of peanuts are rare, data show. Ms. Soriano said that despite initial concerns that parents might not follow the advice to introduce peanuts early, there was widespread acceptance.
Melbourne mother, Megan Chapel, started feeding her 10-month-old son Stellan peanut products from five months. Stellan was enrolled in the MCRI Vitality Allergy Test. "We try to include peanuts in his diet as much as possible," he said. "It's great to see that not only peanut allergies are dying out, but a lot of parents are following the new guidelines." Dr. Jennifer Coplin of MCRI said that although peanut allergies are decreasing, the overall prevalence remains high.