July 5, 2022
More education is needed for parents and clinicians on when to introduce peanuts to children at high risk of peanut allergy, according to a study published in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Guidelines issued in 2015 and amended in 2017 advise introducing peanuts to infants with severe eczema or egg allergy at ages 4 to 6 months and to those with mild to moderate eczema at age 6 months, but 62% of pediatric residents and pediatricians didn't begin speaking to parents about peanut allergy until after children were six months of age, and only 15% of parents felt comfortable introducing peanuts at the recommended age, according to the findings.