Advice to feed babies peanuts early and often helped thousands of kids avoid allergies

AP A decade after a landmark investigation proved that feeding peanut products to young babies could prevent enhancement of life-threatening allergies new research finds the change has made a big difference in the real world Peanut allergies began to decline in the U S after guidance first issued in upended healthcare practice by recommending introducing the allergen to infants starting as early as months The rate of peanut allergies in children ages to fell by more than after guidance for high-risk kids was first issued in and by more than after the recommendations were expanded in That s a remarkable thing right noted Dr David Hill an allergist and researcher at Children s Hospital of Philadelphia and author of a examination published Monday in the clinical journal Pediatrics Hill and colleagues analyzed electronic soundness records from dozens of pediatric practices to track diagnoses of food allergies in young children before during and after the guidelines were issued I can literally come to you in the current era and say there are less kids with food allergy in the current era than there would have been if we hadn t implemented this inhabitants vitality effort he added About children have avoided food allergies since including children who otherwise would have developed peanut allergies Still about of children are affected by food allergies including more than with a peanut allergy Peanut allergy is caused when the body s immune system mistakenly identifies proteins in peanuts as harmful and releases chemicals that trigger allergic clues including hives respiratory signs and sometimes life-threatening anaphylaxis For decades doctors had recommended delaying feeding children peanuts and other foods likely to trigger allergies until age But in Gideon Lack at King s College London published the groundbreaking Learning Early About Peanut Allergy or LEAP trial Lack and colleagues indicated that introducing peanut products in infancy reduced the future liability of progressing food allergies by more than Later analysis displayed that the protection persisted in about of kids into adolescence The survey at once sparked new guidelines urging early introduction of peanuts but putting them into practice has been slow Only about of pediatricians and of allergists shared following the expanded guidance issued in surveys determined Confusion and uncertainty about the best way to introduce peanuts early in life led to the lag according to a commentary that accompanied the analysis Early on therapeutic experts and parents alike questioned whether the practice could be adopted outside of tightly controlled clinical settings The facts for the analysis came from a subset of participating practice sites and may not represent the entire U S pediatric population noted the commentary led by Dr Ruchi Gupta a child allergy expert at Northwestern University However the new research offers promising evidence that early allergen introduction is not only being adopted but may be making a measurable impact the authors concluded Advocates for the million people in the U S with food allergies welcomed signs that early introduction of peanut products is catching on This research reinforces what we already know and underscores a meaningful opportunity to reduce the incidence and prevalence of peanut allergy nationwide mentioned Sung Poblete chief executive of the nonprofit group Food Allergy Research Tuition or FARE The new survey emphasizes the current guidance updated in which calls for introducing peanuts and other major food allergens between four and six months without prior screening or testing Hill reported Parents should consult their pediatricians about any questions It doesn t have to be a lot of the food but little tastes of peanut butter milk-based yogurt soy-based yogurts and tree butters he reported These are really good strategies to allow the immune system exposure to these allergenic foods in a safe way Tiffany Leon a Maryland registered dietician and director at FARE introduced peanuts and other allergens early to her two young sons At first Leon s own mother was shocked at the advice to feed babies such foods before the age of she reported But Leon explained how the science had changed As a dietician I practice evidence-based recommendations she explained So when someone stated me This is how it s done now these are the new guidelines I just though OK well this is what we re going to do