Parents should introduce their children to peanut products from four months old to prevent them from developing allergies, experts say.
The number of people who have an allergic reaction to peanuts has tripled in recent decades and in severe cases the consequences can be fatal.
About one in 50 children is now affected, leading to a lifetime of worry about the ingredients in their food.
But British researchers have discovered a “window of opportunity” between four and six months of age, which they say is the best time to introduce babies to the nutrient.
And this could reduce the incidence of peanut allergy by as much as 77 percent, they said.
Experts found that introducing peanut products to babies when they were four and six months old reduced the incidence of peanut allergies later in life by 77 percent (stock image)
The team, from King’s College London and the University of Southampton, said most peanut allergies have already developed by the time a child turns one.
They looked at data from the Inquiring About Tolerance (EAT) and Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) studies.
The Leap study involved 640 infants who were at high risk of developing peanut allergy and examined the early introduction of peanut products.
More than 1,300 three-month-old babies were recruited in England and Wales for the Eat project. They were followed for several years to examine the early introduction of six allergenic foods: milk, peanuts, sesame, fish, eggs and wheat.
Analysis, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, revealed that it was best to introduce peanut products to babies four to six months old.
This could reduce the incidence of peanut allergies by 77 percent, compared to just 33 percent if peanuts are introduced when the child is one year old.
Babies at higher risk of developing an allergy — for example, if they already have eczema — should be started closer to four months, she added.
The NHS currently says nuts and peanuts can be introduced from around six months of age as long as they are crushed, ground or a smooth nut or peanut butter.
Based on their findings, the scientists are calling on the government to review the latest evidence.
Lead author Professor Graham Roberts said: ‘Current guidelines suggest that peanuts should be introduced from around six months of age.
The last government report on introducing foods into babies’ diets was published in 2018. Since then, a number of studies have been published suggesting that earlier introductions of peanuts and other foods may help prevent allergies from developing.
“We believe the government should review current guidelines on when to introduce peanuts into babies’ diets. In our opinion, peanuts should be introduced earlier when babies are developing to be ready for solid food.’
He explained that a peanut allergy occurs when the body perceives peanuts as something dangerous and reacts to them.
“The reaction can affect the whole body — your lips can swell, you can get an itchy rash, and you can have trouble breathing,” he said.
‘A baby’s immune system must learn to distinguish between food and dangerous insects that need to be kept out of the body.
“The way the body does this is through the form in which it sees things. If it sees peanuts in reasonably large quantities in its intestines, it will see this as a safe food and will not develop an allergy.’
Pediatric dietitian Mary Feeney, of King’s College London, said their findings indicate that giving babies a heaped teaspoon of peanut butter three times a week is the recommended amount to reduce the likelihood of them becoming allergic to it.
She warned that babies or toddlers should never be given whole or chopped nuts, as they carry the risk of choking.
And babies should be developmentally ready to start solid foods when peanut products are introduced, she added.
Professor Gideon Lack, from King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘The benefits of introducing peanut products into babies’ diets diminish as they get older.
“This reflects the experience in Israel, a culture where peanut products are usually introduced early into the children’s diet and peanut allergy is rare.
“There is a small chance of preventing an allergy from developing.
“Introducing peanut products at four to six months of age can significantly reduce the number of children who develop a peanut allergy.”