Potentially deadly peanut allergies are showing up at much younger
ages as parents introduce their children to the food much earlier than
a decade ago, a study released Monday has found.
The authors said the trend was troubling, particularly given that
peanut allergies in children have doubled in the same period.
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They recommended that parents should delay introducing their
children to peanuts and other potential allergens.
"When kids are older, it can be easier to manage bad reactions,"
said lead author Todd Green, a professor of paediatrics at the Children's
Hospital of Pittsburgh.
Mouth feels funny
"They can tell you right away if their mouths feel funny. For that
reason alone, it's worth delaying exposing your child to a peanut
product, especially if a child is at high risk."
About 200 people die every year in the United States because
something they ate caused a severe allergic reaction.
As many as a third of the 1.8 million people in the United States
with peanut allergies have reactions which are severe enough to kill
them.
The study published in the journal Paediatrics found that children
born during or after 2000 were exposed to peanuts at 12 months of age
and reported their first adverse reactions at 14 months.
Those born between 1995 and 1997 did not eat food containing peanuts
until 22 months and did not show their first adverse reactions until 24 months.
The researchers are working on another study to see if early
introduction of small amounts of peanut and other possible offending
food products could potentially prevent food allergies by desensitising
children and helping their immune system mount an appropriate response. – (Sapa/AFP)
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