Peanut allergies are one of the most common food allergies. Food allergies occur when the body’s immune system reacts to components of food, causing symptoms that range from mild symptoms like swollen lips and hives to a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis.
Peanut allergies usually begin in childhood and often last a lifetime. Researchers have made progress in treating peanut allergies using a strategy called oral immunotherapy, which involves gradually giving people large amounts of peanuts over time, under a doctor’s supervision, to build immune tolerance. But this doesn’t work for everyone and can cause allergic reactions. And it’s better to prevent peanut allergies from developing in the first place.
Learn early about peanut allergy research
About 20 years ago, in a study funded by the NIH, Learning Early About Peanut Allergies (LEAP) A study has begun to determine whether introducing peanut products to children from an early age can reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy. During the study, half of the 640 participants consumed peanut products regularly from infancy until age 5, while the other half avoided peanuts.
of Research findings Early exposure to peanut products reduced the risk of peanut allergy in 5-year-old children by 81%. LEAP-Onchildren in the LEAP study were asked to avoid eating peanut products from age 5 to 6. Even after this year of avoidance, most children in the original peanut-consuming group did not develop peanut allergies by age 6.
The effectiveness of oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy can weaken over time, so researchers were concerned that the protective effect of early peanut exposure might also weaken. To address this concern, the LEAP researchers designed a long-term follow-up study. LEAP-TrioMeasuring peanut allergy in adolescents.
Long-term follow-up
Led by Dr. Gideon Lack of King’s College London, LEAP-Trio followed 508 of the original study participants through an average age of 13 years. Since LEAP-On, participants without peanut allergies have been able to eat or avoid peanut products as they wished. The results of LEAP-Trio were published in the journal NEJM Evidence on May 28, 2024.
During this long period, only one child in the peanut initial exposure group developed a new peanut allergy. Overall, only 4.4% of children with early peanut exposure developed a measurable peanut allergy during adolescence. In contrast, 15.4% of children in the group with no early peanut exposure developed a peanut allergy. These results Early and regular exposure to peanuts reduces risk of peanut allergy Compared to non-peanut consumers, adolescents were at increased risk of peanut consumption by 71%.
Conclusion
“Today’s findings show that feeding peanut products to infants Established Guidelines “This approach has the potential to provide lasting protection against peanut allergies,” said Jeanne Marrazzo, M.D., director of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “If widely implemented, this safe and simple strategy could prevent tens of thousands of cases of peanut allergy each year in the United States.”
Parents of infants who are at high risk for peanut allergy should consult with a health care professional before feeding their infant any foods that contain peanuts. Allergy testing may be necessary to make sure the infant does not already have a peanut allergy.
