Early peanut exposure in babies tied to sharp drop in food allergy diagnoses

Historically, parents were advised to avoid feeding peanuts to babies for the first few years of life, but emerging research has confirmed that introducing them sooner — as early as infancy — could help stave off food allergies.

A 2025 study led by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia analyzed medical records from dozens of pediatric practices across the U.S., finding that early introduction of peanuts resulted in a 27% decrease in peanut allergy diagnoses among children and a 38% decrease in overall food allergies.

The latest research also found that eggs had surpassed peanuts as the most common food allergen in the children studied. Beyond peanuts, other common food allergens include milk, egg and wheat.

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The new research — published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in October 2025 — focused on a two-year period after new guidance was issued by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which first advised parents to introduce peanuts earlier. 

That updated guidance was based on a landmark 2015 study — the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) trial — which found that for infants who had severe eczema or an egg allergy, exposing them to peanuts when they were between 4 and 11 months old could reduce peanut allergy risk by 81%.

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The guidelines were updated again in 2021, encouraging the introduction of peanut, egg and other major food allergens as early as 4 to 6 months for all children — including those without a history of prior reaction, according to health experts.

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"Everyone has been wondering whether these landmark public health interventions have had an impact on reducing rates of IgE-mediated food allergies in the United States," said first author Stanislaw Gabryszewski, M.D., Ph.D., an attending physician in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in a statement.

"We now have data that suggest the effect of this landmark public health intervention is occurring."

The latest findings "are supportive of efforts to increase education and advocacy related to early food introduction practices," the study authors wrote.

"If confirmed, these findings would represent a meaningful public health advance — affirming that clinical research, when coupled with clear guidelines and committed dissemination, can indeed shift the trajectory of childhood food allergy."

The study only included data through early 2019 and did not consider the guidance released in 2021, which recommended early introduction of multiple allergens regardless of risk, the researchers acknowledged.

It also relied on allergy diagnoses from electronic health records, which may miss some cases. Also, the researchers did not capture individual feeding patterns.

Because the study was observational, it cannot prove cause and effect, but only association, the researchers noted. Other factors may influence the outcome.

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In some children, peanut allergy can trigger severe, life-threatening reactions, including difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat and a dangerous drop in blood pressure, according to Mayo Clinic. These reactions require immediate treatment with epinephrine, a life-saving allergy medication.

Not all parents may be comfortable with these revised guidelines, health experts say.

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"Not everyone has followed those guidelines, but this is further evidence that this early introduction is effective at preventing food allergies," Dr. Susan Schuval, chief of the Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Stony Brook Children's Hospital in New York, previously told Fox News Digital.

Parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns with their pediatrician before introducing potential food allergens.

Amy McGorry contributed reporting.