Encouraging trends in peanut allergy prevention in the US  

Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies in children, affecting around 1 in 50 children in the UK. For many years, parents were told not to give peanuts to young children. But over the past decade, advice has changed. 

Research now shows that introducing peanut-containing foods to babies early—rather than avoiding them—can help prevent peanut allergy. This shift began after the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) study, published in 2015, which found that regularly consuming peanut-containing foods from infancy significantly reduced the risk of developing a peanut allergy in children. 

These findings led to updated recommendations in the United States in 2017, encouraging most families to introduce foods known to cause allergies from around 6 months of age, but not before 4 months. Similar advice has since been adopted in several countries, including the UK. 

Findings  

A decade later, new research shows promising signs that these updated guidelines are having an impact in the US. Researchers looked at data from 48 paediatric practices, comparing children born before and after the LEAP study was published. They found: 

• Using electronic health record data for children aged 0–3 years, the study found statistically significant declines in peanut allergy and any IgE-mediated food allergy after publication of early-introduction guidelines. 

• These improvements were seen in all children, including those with eczema — a group usually at higher risk. 

• The rates of milk allergy also fell, but egg allergy did not, suggesting families may be introducing some foods earlier than others. 

• The reduction in peanut allergy was smaller than what was seen in clinical trials, which suggests that not all families or healthcare providers are following the early-introduction advice consistently. 

• The study noticed some changes in the mix of children being diagnosed with allergies across different ethnic groups, which may relate to differences in feeding practices or access to care. 

• Overall, the study showed that the guidelines are working in everyday practice, not just in clinical studies. 

National survey data also supports this, showing that fewer parents are reporting peanut allergies in their children. This suggests that more families are following the early-introduction advice—and it may be helping reduce peanut allergy rates.  

Limitations 

The study was observational, which means the researchers could only look at existing medical records rather than track exactly when or how often families introduced allergenic foods. It also only included data from certain clinics, so the results may not reflect the whole of the US. Even so, the findings provide encouraging early evidence that the new feeding guidelines are making a difference. 

While these findings are encouraging, more research is needed to see if the same trends happen in different communities, especially where access to healthcare or resources varies.  

Future studies may also use additional methods—such as allergy tests or supervised food challenges—to build a clearer picture of peanut allergy rates globally. 

What’s next?  

If these trends continue, it could be a big step forward in preventing peanut allergy. It also shows that scientific research, combined with clear guidance for parents and healthcare professionals, can make a real difference. 

In the UK, early peanut introduction is already part of current weaning guidance for many families, and these new findings further support its potential to reduce the risk of peanut allergy.  

For more details and resources on managing peanut allergies and weaning infants, you can see our factsheets and the BSACI weaning leaflet. 

Note that infants and small children should never be given whole peanuts due to the risk of choking. 

You can read the full study here:  Guidelines for Early Food Introduction and Patterns of Food Allergy