New research from King’s College in London shows that feeding babies and young children smooth peanut butter on a regular basis reduces the likelihood of developing a peanut allergy in later life. Teenagers who were fed the spread up to the age of five were 71% less likely to have a peanut allergy than those that avoided it. However, the researchers emphasised that young children should not be given whole or chopped peanuts because of the risk of choking. The findings challenge previous advice that urged parents to avoid giving children peanuts completely until age three. Peanut allergies currently affect one in 50 children and the ingredient is banned from many schools.
Around 640 high-risk children at risk of developing a peanut allergy were part of a clinical trial around 15 years ago. Half avoided peanuts and half ate them as part of their diet between the ages of four months and five years. The original findings showed that children who ate peanut butter were dramatically less likely to develop an allergy by the time they reached the age of five. The new study, which has been published in NEJM Evidence, demonstrates that the protection lasts whether children continue to eat peanut products or not.
The King’s College team suggest that parents introduce peanuts into their child’s diet from the age of six months with a soft paste of peanut butter or peanut puffs. From four months is considered better still, as this is generally before food allergies emerge. For safety, the peanut butter should be consumed three to four times a week, adding up to roughly one-and-a-half or two tablespoons a week. This means that the body’s first exposure to peanuts is in the tummy, where it is more likely to be recognised as food, rather than on the skin, where it may be more likely to trigger an immune response. It remains unclear whether children need to consume peanut for the full five years to reduce the risk of an allergy. However, the researchers suggest that the safest and wisest course of action is a full five-year period of consumption as “we’re talking about normal nutritious foods, not medication”.
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