Has Early Introduction Reduced Peanut Allergies?

The short answer? Yes. 

Australia has some of the world’s highest rates of food allergies. In 2016, following the results of the LEAP study, Australia launched a national effort to get every baby to eat peanut by age 1. Studies done in 2018 and 2019 showed that by using a consistent message - every baby should eat peanut - they were able to get a lot of babies to eat peanut by age 1. 

Logically, in 2020, they decided to see if this national effort was working. The study team compared peanut allergy rates for children born in 2018-2019 with children born 2008-2009 (when babies were told to avoid peanut).

Finding 1 - Advocacy works! Nearly 80% of Australian infants followed the recommendation and ate peanut before their first birthday.

Finding 2 - Compared to the 20% who didn’t listen, the babies who ate peanut had half as many peanut allergies!

Finding 3 - For the first time in 30 years, peanut allergies are going down. Just 2 years after the guidelines, rates were down 16%!

While there is clearly more work to be done so that every baby eats peanut, and every baby eats peanut 1-2 times a week, we are making real progress.

This study is proof that the tide is turning, and that a future with far fewer food allergies is possible. Lil Mixins Peanut Powder is still the simplest way to make sure your baby is getting the right amount of peanut, at the right time, and regularly.