Peanut allergy is one of the most common allergies, and what's more, its prevalence is steadily increasing. According to statistics, in the United States alone, peanut all ergy was more than three times more common in 2008 than it was back in 1997. Is it only the frequency of this allergy that makes many scientists turn their attention to it? Well, definitely not - the reason for this is that people who are allergic to peanuts may even die after exposure to this food ingredient.

Because of this risk, research is being conducted to find out how to reduce the risk of developing a peanut allergy. Management guidelines to minimise the possibility of an allergy were published in January 2017 in the American Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Early feeding of peanuts to your child = lower risk of allergy?

Well, it appears that a reduced risk of allergy is possible by introducing peanuts into a child's diet early enough. Particularly significant effects could be achieved in those paediatric patients who have an increased susceptibility to developing sensitisation from the mentioned nutrient. Conditions where there is an increased risk of peanut sensitisation are considered to be the presence of a significant degree of skin eczema and sensitisation to egg white.

In children with one or both of these problems, attempts could be made to include peanuts in their diet as early as 4-6 months of age (i.e. at the time when the child begins to accept solid foods). By giving the child peanuts so soon and then keeping them in the offspring's diet, the chances of them developing an allergy would be expected to decrease significantly. The scientists involved in the development of the guidelines also plan to carry out other studies to investigate, among other things, whether the early introduction of, for example, egg white or milk in the child's diet could also lead to a reduction in the risk of allergies to these nutrients.

Parents should, however, be warned that, although these reports come from American immunological experts, they should not be followed uncritically. A paediatrician should definitely be consulted before peanuts are given to a child, as only then will any measures to prevent the development of an allergy do any good. If you act on your own without consulting your doctor, you could even put your child's life at risk!