Peanut Allergies Could Reduce If Babies Weaned Early on Peanut Products
a year ago
- #infant nutrition
- #public health
- #peanut allergy
- Peanut allergy could decrease by 77% if peanut products are introduced to babies' diets between four to six months of age.
- Peanut allergy has tripled in recent decades, affecting about one in 50 children in the UK.
- Early introduction of peanut products can reduce allergy risk and reverse the increasing trend.
- The best time to introduce peanuts is between four to six months, with four months recommended for babies with eczema.
- Peanut products should be in forms like smooth peanut butter, not whole peanuts, and babies should be ready for solids.
- Breastfeeding for at least the first six months is advised alongside introducing peanuts from four to six months.
- Introducing peanuts by six months reduces allergy by up to 77%, while waiting until 12 months only reduces it by 33%.
- Targeting the whole population for early peanut introduction is more effective than focusing only on high-risk groups like babies with severe eczema.
- The findings support recent North American and European allergy guidelines recommending early peanut introduction for all infants.