Children who did not eat peanut products in infancy had a significantly higher prevalence of peanut allergy than those who consumed peanut in high quantities during the first year of life, according to study of Jewish children in the United Kingdom and Israel.
The prevalence of peanut allergy in the U.K. and North America has doubled in the past 10 years despite recommendations to avoid peanut products early in life. Researchers have hypothesized that sensitization is occurring through routes other than oral exposure or that early oral exposure induces tolerance.
This study compared the prevalence o f peanut allergy in Jewish children living in Israel and the U.K. It also evaluated the relationship of peanut allergy to infant and maternal peanut consumption.
A questionnaire asking about food allergies was distributed to student in both countries. In Addition, a survey asking about early exposure to peanuts and other solid foods was completed by mothers of children ages 4 to 24 months in both countries.
Results of the first questionnaire showed that U.K. children had a prevalence of peanut allergy that was 10-fold higher than that of Israeli children (73 of 3,943 U.K. children vs. 8 of 4,657 Israeli children). The difference was not explained by age, sex, atopy, social class, or genetic background.
The second survey showed that 69% of Israeli infants consumed peanuts by 9 months of age compared with just 10% of those in the U.K. In addition, the median monthly consumption of peanut protein was 7.1 grams for Israeli infants compared with 0 grams in the U.K.
The researchers concluded that their findings raise the question of whether early and frequent ingestion of peanuts during infancy, rather than avoidance, will prevent the development of peanut allergy through tolerance induction.