Early-life feeding practices are reshaping the landscape of childhood allergy prevention. New evidence from the U.S. shows that introducing allergenic foods like peanuts during infancy is not only safe but has significantly reduced the rates of food allergies in young children.
The shift, driven by landmark research and reinforced by guidelines adopted widely by many countries, marks one of the most impactful public health interventions in paediatric care in recent years.
Researchers analysed electronic health records from a large U.S. paediatric network to compare allergy rates before and after guidelines promoting early introduction of allergenic foods. The results were found to be highly significant, with overall IgE-mediated food allergy rates declining from 1.46 per cent to 0.93 per cent. Interestingly, the results showed that after the guidelines were implemented, egg surpassed peanut as the food most commonly causing allergic reactions.
It is estimated that for every 200 infants introduced to allergenic foods early, one case of food allergy may be prevented.
These findings build on the 2015 LEAP trial, which demonstrated that introducing peanuts to infants between four and eleven months reduced allergy risk by more than 80 per cent in high-risk groups. Subsequent guidelines expanded recommendations to all infants regardless of their risk profile, encouraging early introduction of peanuts, eggs, and other allergens.
While food allergies have not been eliminated, the observed decline underscores the effectiveness of these guidelines in the U.S. and highlights the importance of continued education and implementation to maximise their impact.
Reference: Gabryszewski, et al., 2025. Guidelines for early food introduction and patterns of food allergy. Pediatrics, 156(5), p.e2024070516. DOI:10.1542/peds.2024-070516.
