Reversing peanut advice prevented tens of thousands of allergy cases, researchers say

""Early allergen introduction works," Dr. David Hill, who led the study, tells NPR. "For the first time in recent history, it seems like we're starting to put a brake pedal on the epidemic of food allergy in this country.""

""There was a 43% reduction in peanut allergy prevalence," Hill says, "and a 36% reduction in any food allergy prevalence.""

Previous guidance to avoid exposing infants to peanuts reversed about a decade ago when early infant consumption of peanut products proved protective against peanut allergy. Early introduction of peanuts correlated with a major drop in peanut allergy prevalence among young children and with a broader decline in food allergies. Shifts in pediatric guidance in 2015 and 2017 encouraged early peanut exposure and contributed to fewer cases. Reported metrics include a 43% reduction in peanut allergy prevalence and a 36% reduction in any food allergy prevalence, with an estimated 40,000 peanut allergies prevented over the last decade.

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