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The following is a summary of “Awareness and Application of US Food Allergy Prevention Guidelines Among Pediatricians and Other Clinicians,” published in the July 2024 issue of Pediatrics by Wang et al.

This study aims to evaluate the level of awareness, adherence, and barriers related to the 2017 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) peanut allergy prevention guidelines among various healthcare providers in pediatrics. An online survey was distributed to pediatricians, family physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), and dermatologists who care for infants from June 6, 2022, to July 3, 2022. The survey assessed participants’ knowledge of the NIAID guidelines, their implementation practices, and the challenges they encounter.

A total of 250 pediatricians, 250 family physicians, 504 APPs, and 253 dermatologists participated in the survey. The findings revealed a significantly higher level of self-reported awareness of the guidelines among pediatricians (76%) compared to dermatologists (58%), family physicians (52%), and APPs (45%) (P < 0.05). Among those aware of the guidelines, most practitioners indicated that they incorporated part or all of the recommendations into their clinical practice. However, practices regarding the introduction of peanuts to 6-month-old infants varied widely and frequently did not align with the guidelines, especially for infants with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis.

The results highlight that while pediatricians report the highest awareness of the NIAID guidelines, overall awareness still needs to be improved across all provider types. These findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive educational initiatives targeting all pediatric healthcare providers to enhance the implementation of evidence-based peanut allergy prevention practices.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347624003214