Food allergies in children have declined sharply after official guidelines were updated to encourage parents to introduce their infants to peanuts at a young age, a study has found. “We’re talking about the prevention of a potentially deadly, life-changing diagnosis,” said Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez, a pediatrician at Columbia University. “This is real world data of how a public health recommendation can change children’s health.” A landmark 2015 study by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases challenged the traditional idea that parents should avoid exposing infants to common allergens. Since then, the number of children under three who developed peanut allergies saw a 36 percent reduction, which was primarily driven by a 43 percent drop in peanut allergies, the new study found. The findings, published in Pediatrics medical journal, also noted that eggs have surpassed peanuts as the top allergen in new children. When babies are introduced to allergens through skin contact, it is thought to trigger an immune system response, the study suggests. But when allergens are ingested in the gut from an early age, it can help to build a tolerance.
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