Food allergies and intolerances have become a grave concern in adults as well as children worldwide. Children with food allergies need special attention to prevent any health mishaps. Taking care of such children while satisfying their health quotient is elaborated at www.firsteatright.com.
A study related to peanut allergy conducted on infants proved that when peanuts were given to babies who were at an increased risk for developing peanut allergy, as early as four months old, the risk quotient of the allergy decreased.
The Case Study
Two strategies were planned to combat peanut allergy, one was to consume peanuts and the other was to avoid peanuts in infants who were already at an increased risk of developing peanut allergy as they were already having egg allergy or severe eczema (inflammatory skin disorder). This study did not involve infants who showed increased signs of having already developed peanut allergy.
More than 600 high-risk infants between 4 and 11 months of age were randomly assigned to either avoid peanuts totally or to consume at least 6 grams of peanut protein every week in their diets. This continued until the child’s fifth year and the participants were regularly monitored through dietary surveys via telephone or a personal visit to the physician.
At the end of the child’s fifth year, he/she was assessed for peanut allergy under supervision through an oral food challenge. The result proved an 81 percent reduction of peanut allergy in kids who started taking peanuts at an early age continuously in comparison to those who avoided peanuts.
Outcome of the Study
Many early studies recommended avoidance of allergy-causing foods in young children who were at an increased risk for some food allergy. But this case study needs to be continued with the condition that the participants must discontinue consumption of peanuts for one year. This is sure to prove answer to our question whether continuous peanut consumption is required to maintain a child’s tolerance to peanuts.
