Guideline-recommended early peanut introduction in Australia has not been linked with a statistically significant lower or higher prevalence of peanut allergy, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Victoria X. Soriano, PhD, and colleagues compared changes in two population-based cross-sectional samples of infants aged 12 months, recruited 10 years apart. Data were included for 1,933 infants in 2018-2019 and 5,276 in 2007-2011. An increase in the proportion of infants with East Asian ancestry—a risk factor for food allergy was observed over time. Peanut allergy prevalence was 2.6% in 2018-2019, compared with 3.1% in 2007-2011 after standardizing for infant ancestry and other demographic changes (difference, 0.5%; P=0.26). Among infants of Australian ancestry, earlier age of peanut introduction was associated with a lower risk for peanut allergy in 2018 2019 (adjusted ORs, 0.08 and 0.09 for age 12 months vs age 6 months or younger and for age 12 months vs age 7 months to less than 10 months, respectively). No significant association was seen for infants of East Asian ancestry.
