A new review published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine highlights major advances in the prevention and treatment of peanut allergy.
Early peanut introduction has been shown to reduce allergy prevalence by approximately 80%, with the protective effect decreasing as introduction is delayed. The authors recommend regular peanut ingestion during infancy, with approximately 2 grams of peanut protein weekly for infants at low risk and 4-6 grams weekly for those at high risk.
The review also highlights the importance of implementing prevention strategies across the whole infant population rather than focusing only on those considered at high risk. Population-wide approaches achieve a greater reduction in the overall burden of peanut allergy, although disparities in outcomes remain among some ethnic groups and among families with limited access to healthcare.
For children who have already developed peanut allergy, the review summarizes evidence that peanut immunotherapy is more effective when started between 1 and 3 years of age, resulting in higher rates of clinical remission than when treatment begins later. Because untreated peanut allergy is associated with increasing peanut-specific IgE levels and greater clinical reactivity over time, the authors emphasize the importance of early intervention during this critical developmental window.
Reference: Du Toit, G., & Lack, G. (2026). Prevention and Treatment of Peanut Allergy. The New England Journal of Medicine, 394(24), 2449–2458.
