Seven year study to begin in UK

It is currently not clear how to prevent peanut allergy. Some studies suggest that peanut avoidance in early infancy may help to prevent allergy, whereas other research suggests the opposite may be true. Research led by Professor Gideon Lack of the MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma at King's College London and Imperial College London has been comparing peanut allergies in different parts of the world.

"In some countries we have found an inverse association between consumption of peanuts in the first year of life and the development of peanut allergy," explained Professor Lack of King's College London. "Recent evidence suggests that children who eat peanut snacks early in life may in fact be protected against peanut allergy, in contrast with previous studies which have suggested the opposite."

Professor Lack's team will now carry out a randomised, controlled 7 year study involving 480 infants between the ages of 4 and 11 months. The infants will already have eczema or egg allergy and be at a high-risk of developing peanut allergy. They will be randomised into two groups: the interventional group will receive a peanut snack regularly from four months of age for the first three years of life, whereas the control group will completely avoid peanuts. Both groups will be assessed for peanut allergy at five years of age.

Media Newswire