In a new study out of London, “The early introduction of peanut to the diets of infants at high-risk of developing peanut allergy significantly reduces the risk of peanut allergy until 6 years of age, even if they stop eating peanut around the age of five, according to a new study. Of the 550 LEAP-On participants, 280 had been randomized to peanut avoidance and 270 to peanut consumption on the LEAP Study; adherence to these interventions was high at 92%. All participants were asked to avoid peanut during LEAP-On and adherence during this study was also high: 90.4% for previous LEAP avoiders and 69.3% for previous LEAP consumers.”

Furthermore, “The study found that at 6 years of age, there was no statistically significant increase in allergy after 12 months of avoidance, in those who had consumed peanut during the LEAP trial (3.6% (10/274) at 60 months versus 4.8% (13/270) at 72 months). The study also found that peanut allergy was significantly more prevalent in those who had avoided eating peanuts in LEAP, than those who consumed (18.6% vs 4.8%). There were only 3 subjects from the consumer group who developed new peanut allergy during the 12 months of peanut avoidance, but there were also 3 subjects from the avoidance group who developed new peanut allergy.”

To close, “The authors therefore concluded that in infants at high-risk for allergy in whom peanut was introduced in the first year of life, and continued until age 5, a 12-month period of peanut avoidance was not associated with a significant increase in peanut allergy. Overall, the study saw a 74% relative reduction in the prevalence of peanut allergy in those who consumed peanut compared to those who avoided.”

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