Early peanut feeding and treatment of peanut allergy
What it found
Giving peanut protein to babies early cut peanut allergy by about 80%, and starting treatment in children aged 1 to 3 worked better than starting it later.
What they found
Studies in people
Early feeding cuts allergy
Introducing peanut protein early reduced how many children developed peanut allergy by about 80%. The benefit got smaller the longer introduction was delayed.
How much to give
For prevention, the authors describe about 2 g of peanut protein a week for infants at low risk and 4 to 6 g a week for infants at high risk.
Targeting all infants
Programmes that offer early peanut to all infants reduce peanut allergy across the population more than programmes that target only high-risk infants. Some ethnic groups and groups with less access to care are left behind.
Treatment in young children
Peanut immunotherapy started in children aged 1 to 3 worked better and led to more children no longer reacting than immunotherapy started in older children.
Untreated allergy over time
Without treatment, peanut-specific IgE levels and reactions tend to rise over time. This is why the authors stress acting during the narrow early window.
What the authors conclude
“Early introduction of peanut protein reduces allergy prevalence by approximately 80%, with efficacy diminishing as introduction is delayed.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say early introduction of peanut protein is an appropriate way to prevent peanut allergy.
- They advise starting peanut immunotherapy in younger children, aged 1 to 3, because it works better and leads to more clinical remission.
- They stress the importance of early intervention during a narrow developmental window.
How it was done
Peanut allergy is a growing problem, and the authors wanted to see how it can be prevented and treated, especially in early life.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This is a review of other studies, so it cannot prove on its own that early peanut feeding causes the drop in allergy.
- It cannot say how well these approaches work in every group, since disparities exist among some ethnic groups and groups with restricted access to care.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- King's College London, London; Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London; Allergy Centre of Excellence (ACE), London
The paper
- Title
- Prevention and Treatment of Peanut Allergy
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Du Toit G, Lack G (2026). Prevention and Treatment of Peanut Allergy. The New England journal of medicine. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp2314424PubMed 42341303DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error