A groundbreaking study has found that introducing peanut products to babies at high risk of developing allergies can reduce the likelihood of peanut allergy by more than 80 per cent. The research, carried out by King's College London and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved 628 infants aged four to 11 months who already had eczema, a known early indicator of allergic conditions.
The babies were given skin-prick tests to determine those who had not yet developed peanut allergy or had only a mild response. Half were then given a peanut-based snack, while the other half continued to avoid peanuts entirely. By the age of five, 14 per cent of those who avoided peanuts had developed an allergy, compared with just 2 per cent in the group that consumed peanuts—a reduction of 86 per cent. Even among children who were already becoming sensitive to peanuts, the allergy rate fell from 35 per cent to 11 per cent.
Lead researcher Professor Gideon Lack described the findings as "exciting" and said it was "the first time that in allergy, we can actually truly prevent the development of disease." He stressed that high-risk children should be evaluated and have skin-prick testing before introducing peanuts, and that the results "go very much contrary to previous advice." Until 2008, at-risk families were advised to avoid peanut products entirely.
The study has generated significant excitement about its potential to prevent other food allergies, such as to egg protein. Professor Simon Murch, from University Hospital Coventry and a spokesman for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, called the results "brilliant" and said they "are likely to change practice, at least for peanut, around the world." However, specialists caution that parents should not attempt to introduce peanuts to babies at home without medical guidance, due to choking risks and the need for proper evaluation.
