Early Peanut Feeding Linked to 27% Drop in U.S. Child Peanut Allergies
A new study from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, published in the American Academy of Pediatrics journal Pediatrics in October 2025, finds that introducing peanuts in infancy is associated with a 27% decline in peanut allergy diagnoses and a 38% decline in overall food allergies among U.S. children treated in dozens of pediatric practices. Researchers examined electronic health records from the two years after the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases first recommended earlier peanut introduction, building on the landmark 2015 LEAP trial that showed an 81% risk reduction in high‑risk infants exposed to peanut between 4 and 11 months. The study period predates a 2021 guideline expansion that encouraged early introduction of peanut, egg and other major allergens for all infants, suggesting the full impact of newer advice may not yet be visible in the data. The authors report that egg has now overtaken peanut as the most common food allergen in the children they studied. Because the analysis is observational and based on diagnoses captured in records, it shows strong association rather than definitive proof of cause and effect, and the researchers urge more education and advocacy around early food introduction while advising parents to consult pediatricians before offering allergenic foods.
📌 Key Facts
- Pediatrics paper led by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia analyzed EHR data from dozens of U.S. pediatric practices.
- Early peanut introduction was linked to a 27% decrease in peanut allergy diagnoses and a 38% decrease in overall food‑allergy diagnoses among children.
- Egg has surpassed peanut as the most common food allergen in the studied pediatric population.
- Study assessed a two‑year period after NIAID’s early‑peanut guidance and before a 2021 update that encouraged early introduction of multiple allergens for all infants.
- Researchers caution the study is observational and cannot prove causation, and that diagnoses based on records may miss some cases.
📊 Relevant Data
Black children in the US have the highest rate of convincing peanut allergy at 3.0% (95% CI, 2.4%-3.8%), compared to 1.6% for White children, 2.2% for Hispanic children, and 2.4% for Asian children.
Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Differences in Food Allergies in the US — JAMA Network Open
Black children in the US report the highest rate of egg allergy at 2.1% (95% CI, 1.6%-2.7%), compared to 1.3% for White children, 1.6% for Hispanic children, and 1.8% for Asian children.
Racial, Ethnic, and Socioeconomic Differences in Food Allergies in the US — JAMA Network Open
Non-Hispanic Black individuals are overrepresented in peanut allergies, comprising 15.5% of cases while representing 11.6% of the US population; Hispanics comprise 20.9% of cases vs. 15.4% of population; Asians comprise 6.3% vs. 3.8%.
Racial and Ethnic Data Reported for Peanut Allergy Epidemiology Do Little to Advance Its Cause, Treatment, or Prevention — Frontiers in Public Health
As of 2024, the US child population (ages 0-17) is approximately 49% White, 26% Hispanic, 13% Black, 5% Asian, 4% two or more races, and 3% other races.
Child population by race and ethnicity — KIDS COUNT Data Center
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