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D E D I C ATE D TO E N R I C H I N G TH E LIVE S O F LO C AL FAM I LI E S
Sources: cnn.com
Peanut Preferences Infants who have severe asthma, allergies to eggs or both are likely to have a peanut allergy as well. It is now recommended to introduce these children to peanuts around 4-6 months of age to ward off developing a potential allergy. Allergists can administer a skin prick test or a blood test to determine whether a child is allergic to peanuts. Next, children with mild to moderate eczema should be introduced to peanut-related foods around 6 months. Finally, children with no indication of allergies or family history can be exposed at any age, based on family preference. By exposing the immune system early, prevention of allergies is possible. In the LEAP study (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy,) highrisk participants were fed peanut products from an early age through age 5 or abstained from peanuts altogether. Eighteen percent of the kids who abstained developed an allergy by age 5, compared to 1 percent of the exposed group. The results were published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Don’t forget to seek your doctor’s advice to find out what’s best for your child.
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