Infants are less likely to develop a peanut allergy if they eat them, according to a study.
The findings from a new large-scale trial suggest bad advice has been given to parents for decades, and cutting peanuts from a child's diet may actually increase the risk of developing an intolerance.
The Leap (Learning Early About Peanut allergy) study compared two groups of children aged four to 11 months, all of whom were considered at high risk of developing an allergy to peanuts.
One group ate peanut snacks three times a week, the other didn't, and of the children who avoided peanuts nearly 20 per cent became allergic to the food by the age of five.
But just three per cent of the children randomly selected to consume peanut as infants went on to develop a peanut allergy - equivalent to a more than 80 per cent risk reduction.
Lead investigator Professor Gideon Lack, from King's College London, said: "For decades allergists have been recommending that young infants avoid consuming allergenic foods such as peanut to prevent food allergies. Our findings suggest that this advice was incorrect and may have contributed to the rise in the peanut and other food allergies.
"This is an important clinical development and contravenes previous guidelines. Whilst these were withdrawn in 2008 in the UK and US, our study suggests that new guidelines may be needed to reduce the rate of peanut allergy in our children."
Prof Lack added: "Parents of infants and young children with eczema and/or egg allergy should consult with an allergist, paediatrician or their general practitioner prior to feeding them peanut products."
In susceptible children, peanuts can cause symptoms ranging from hives and abdominal pain to anaphylaxis, an extreme and potentially lethal immune reaction.
The Leap findings are reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Additional reporting by PA
