OSF HealthCare announced on May 20 that recent studies show a decline in peanut allergies among young children, with the allergy now ranking third behind milk and eggs as the leading causes of severe allergic reactions in the United States.
The announcement is significant because peanut allergies can cause serious health risks for children and adults. Early detection, management, and education are key to preventing life-threatening reactions.
“Having a peanut allergy, or really any food allergies, can be difficult for school-aged children,” said Alissa Bartel, APRN, a nurse practitioner with OSF HealthCare. “Sometimes you can feel really left out because you have to have different snacks or different treats.” Bartel said that while peanuts used to be the most common food allergy in children, they are now ranked third due to better early exposure practices. “We’ve done a better job of exposing kids to this earlier and possibly preventing allergies later on in life,” she said.
Bartel explained that introducing common allergenic foods like scrambled eggs or small amounts of peanut butter a couple of times per week can help train an infant’s immune system. “We do know that early exposure to the most common allergens actually is beneficial, and so we used to say wait until kids are older than one year,” Bartel said. “But now we say you can start exposing kids as early as four to six months when they first start eating.”
Symptoms of an allergic reaction may include hives or blotchy skin but can also escalate quickly into wheezing, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness or even sudden death. Bartel described how severe reactions occur: “Peanut allergies happen when our body is exposed to the proteins in peanuts…and our body misidentifies those proteins…So our immune system actually starts to attack those proteins.” She added that nearly 80% of people never outgrow a peanut allergy.
Bartel advised families with diagnosed peanut allergies always avoid products containing peanuts and read ingredient labels carefully when shopping or dining out. “And then if you decide to go out to eat just being an advocate…making sure you’re telling the people who are making and serving your food that you have a food allergy,” she said.
If someone experiences trouble breathing after consuming peanuts or other foods, immediate medical attention should be sought: “It could save your life,” Bartel said.
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