Consensus Communication on Early Peanut Introduction and the Prevention of Peanut Allergy in High-Risk Infants
On behalf of American Academy of Asthma Allergy and Immunology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Canadian Society of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the Israel Association of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the Japanese Society for Allergology, Society for Pediatric Research, and the World Allergy Organization
Introduction and Rationale
Peanut allergy is an increasingly troubling global health problem, which affects between 1-3% of children in many westernized countries. Although multiple methods of measurement have been used and specific estimates differ, there appears to be a sudden increase in the number of cases in the past 10 – 15 year period, suggesting that the prevalence may have tripled in some countries, such as the USA. Extrapolating the currently estimated prevalence, this translates to nearly 100,000 new cases annually (in the USA and UK), affecting some 1 in 50 primary school-aged children in the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia. A similar rise in incidence is now being noted in developing countries such as Ghana.1-6
The purpose of this brief communication is to highlight emerging evidence to existing guidelines regarding potential benefits of supporting early, rather than delayed, peanut introduction during the period of complementary food introduction in infants. The recent study, entitled “Randomized Trial of Peanut Consumption in Infants at Risk for Peanut Allergy (Learning Early About Peanut - LEAP Trial),” demonstrated a successful 11% - 25% absolute reduction in the risk of developing peanut allergy in high-risk infants (and a relative risk reduction of up to 80%) if peanut was introduced between 4 and 11 months of age. In light of the significance of these findings, this document serves to better inform the decision-making process for healthcare providers regarding such potential benefits of early peanut introduction. More formal guidelines regarding early-life, complementary feeding practices and the risk of allergy development will follow in the next year from NIAID-sponsored Working Group and EAACI, and thus this document should be considered as interim guidance.
www.worldallergy.org/UserFiles/file/Consensus-early-peanut-introduction.pdf