Early Peanut Exposure in Babies Linked to Sharp Drop in Food Allergy Diagnoses
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Historically, parents were advised to avoid feeding peanuts to babies during the first years of life, but emerging research has confirmed that introducing them earlier (as early as infancy) could help avoid food allergies.
A 2025 study led by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia analyzed medical records from dozens of pediatric practices in the U.S. and found that the early introduction of peanuts resulted in a 27% decrease in peanut allergy diagnoses among children and a 38% decrease in food allergies overall.
The latest research also found that eggs had overtaken 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 the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases issued new guidance, which for the first time recommended parents introduce peanuts earlier.
Emerging research has confirmed that introducing peanuts from childhood could help avoid food allergies. (iStock)
That updated guidance was based on a landmark 2015 study, the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) trial, which found that for babies who had severe eczema or egg allergy, exposing them to peanuts when they were 4 to 11 months old could reduce the risk of peanut allergy by 81%.
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The guidelines were updated again in 2021, encouraging the introduction of peanuts, eggs and other major food allergens starting at 4 to 6 months for all children, including those with no history of prior reactions, 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,” 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, said in a statement.
A 2025 study led by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found that the early introduction of peanuts resulted in a 27% decrease in peanut allergy diagnoses among children and a 38% decrease in food allergies overall. (iStock)
“We now have data that suggests the effect of this milestone public health “There is an intervention taking place.”
The latest findings “support efforts to increase education and promotion related to early food introduction practices,” the study authors wrote.
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“If confirmed, these findings would represent a significant advance in public health, affirming that clinical research, when combined with clear guidelines and committed dissemination, can change the trajectory of childhood food allergy.”
Limitations of the study
The study only included data through early 2019 and did not consider guidance published in 2021, which recommended early introduction of multiple allergens regardless of risk, the researchers acknowledged.
It also relied on allergy diagnoses from electronic medical records, which may miss some cases. Additionally, the researchers did not capture individual eating patterns.
Parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns with their pediatrician before introducing potential food allergens. (iStock)
Because the study was observational, it cannot prove cause and effect, but only association, the researchers noted. Other factors may influence the result.
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In some children, peanut allergy can trigger serious and life-threatening reactions, such as difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat and a dangerous drop in blood pressure, according to the 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 proof that this early introduction is effective in 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 News Digital.
Parents are encouraged to discuss any concerns with their pediatrician before introducing potential food allergens.
Amy McGorry contributed reporting.
Melissa Rudy is a senior health editor and member of the lifestyle team at News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@News.com.