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PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — It has been known for a decade that giving babies highly allergenic foods young, in small amounts, can cut their allergy risk immensely.
In October, a new study released findings showing this practice over 10 years has dropped the peanut allergy rates in kids by 43%.
“Come on Harper, let’s go play,” said Alyssa Wash, taking her 1-year-old daughter outside.
Wash always wanted to be a mother, and when she and her husband had Harper, they were over the moon.
They did what many new parents do — they read the baby books and tried to do all the things the experts recommend.
Once Harper hit four months, they started introducing her to highly allergenic foods.
“I did it four to six months. I gave her peanut butter. Yeah, little bits at a time,” said Wash.
The hope was for Harper to avoid developing food allergies.
“I never batted an eye after she never had a reaction, until she did,” said Wash.
After turning one, Wash gave Harper a single peanut from a trail mix. After a few minutes, Harper became itchy, got red bumps around her mouth and hives.
The Washes called their pediatrician, who told them to get to the hospital. Harper was OK after receiving care, but their doctor suggested they do a nut allergy panel.
“Her back had all these little dots, little red marks. But then there were two huge welts that were both peanuts,” said Wash.
Harper was diagnosed with a mild peanut allergy.
Harper is an outlier though, with more and more parents not getting this news.
“So, the study results show that when we introduced peanut proteins very early, when the infants are young, like four to 11 months old, actually the chance of them having food allergy is much less,” said Johns Hopkins All Children’s Food Allergy Clinic Allergist and Medical Director Dr. Panida Sriaroon.
In the new study, peanut allergy rates fell by 43% and there was an overall child food allergy decrease by 36%.
Eggs are now the most common food allergen. It is no longer peanuts.
Sriaroon says if you give those foods early, it increases the chances of a child avoiding those allergies.
“The earlier we have the baby exposed to foods orally actually the chance of them having allergies to that food, it becomes lower because the body is used to that allergen,” said Sriaroon.
For Harper, her parents are working with an allergist and now have an EpiPen just in case.
Wash maintains she is glad she gave Harper those small food amounts early.
“I am happy that I know. It still is very scary,” said Wash.
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Erin Murray
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