Peanut allergy, one of the most common types of food allergy, can now be prevented in children, according to a new study.
The study recommends that children should be exposed to peanuts early on to cut down the risk of developing peanut allergies later in life.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also suggested that those babies at high risk of having the allergy should be given peanut-containing food before they turn one.
High-risk infants are those who have allergic reactions to eggs. Before infants can have a taste of peanut-containing foods, they should first undergo allergy tests.
The study, conducted by British researchers, now appears in the New England Journal of Medicine. It involved monitoring 640 babies between four and 11 months old who are at high risk of having peanut allergies, according to CBS News.
One group was assigned to eat peanut-containing foods, while the other totally avoided them.
Foods included in the study were peanut soup, peanut butter, and yogurt that had finely ground peanuts mixed into them, the Associated Press reported.
The study followed the participants for five years, after which it found that those who were exposed to peanut products experienced 81 percent fewer allergies compared to the other group.
Before the recent findings, parents were told by their pediatricians to avoid introducing food allergens if their children are at high risk of developing allergies.
The results from the latest randomized trial only show that there will be a significant change in the recommendations when it comes to preventing peanut allergies in children.
According to the AP, the recommendations based on the new findings are temporary. The National Institute of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology still need to prepare extensive guidelines, which should be available by next year.
