Pa. hospital study finds peanut allergies declined in kids after updated guidance

By Kayla Yup, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

Fewer children are developing peanut allergies following an update to the prevention guidelines in the U.S., researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia found in a new study.

For years, parents were told to avoid exposing their babies to any peanuts, for fear of tempting an allergy. Meanwhile, rates of childhood peanut allergies more than tripled from 1997 to 2008.

The guidelines changed almost a decade ago when a landmark trial found that simply introducing children aged 4 to 11 months to peanut-containing foods could reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy by more than 80%.

In response, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases released updated guidance in 2017, recommending parents introduce their chil