Canadian allergists recommend early peanut introduction for “high risk” infants

A new consensus communication—issued jointly by Canadian, American and European allergists and the World Allergy Organization—recommends introducing peanut-containing products into the diet of “high risk” infants between four and 11 months of age.

The Canadian Society of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (CSACI) partnered with other international allergy and immunology societies to highlight the benefits of early peanut introduction, in light of recent findings from the LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut) study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Feb 2015).

“There is now scientific evidence (Level 1 evidence from a randomized controlled trial) that healthcare providers should recommend introducing peanut-containing products into the diet of “high-risk” infants early on in life (between 4 – 11 months of age) in countries where peanut allergy is prevalent, since delaying the introduction of peanut may be associated with an increased risk of developing peanut allergy,” the communication states.

More extensive guidelines will be forthcoming from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), who will consider all the available data and determine whether there is sufficient evidence to apply prevention strategies to the general population.