Parenting advice has a habit of turning around, but rarely as neatly as this. For years, families were told to keep peanuts away from small children. Then doctors changed their minds, and the numbers have started changing too.
What the study found
The study, led by Dr David Hill of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, appeared in the journal Pediatrics in October 2025, and US local TV stations picked it up again this autumn. The team went through electronic health records for more than 124,000 children, comparing the years before and after US guidance changed in 2015 and 2017.
Peanut allergy in children under three fell by about 43%. Food allergy of any kind fell by 36%, from 1.46% of the children studied to 0.93%. According to NPR's report, the researchers estimate that adds up to around 60,000 cases of food allergy avoided, about 40,000 of them peanut allergy.
Hill believes the reversal in guidance is a major reason. In his words, there are “tens of thousands of kids today that don't have food allergy” who might have had one otherwise.
Why you should still read the small print
An observational study like this can show a drop and a timing that fits, but it can't prove the advice caused all of it. AP notes that the data came from a subset of participating practice sites, which may not represent all American children, and an outside expert urged caution in reading the results.
Nor is early introduction a guarantee. Some children still develop the allergy, and some of them now get oral immunotherapy, which carries risks of its own.
What parents are told now
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends introducing peanut foods early to babies who already eat other solids and have never had a reaction. Coverage of the study mentions a start between 4 and 6 months, then peanut foods at least twice a week through the first year.
One rule hasn't budged: no whole peanuts for infants, because they're a choking hazard. Think thinned peanut butter or a peanut puff. If your baby has already reacted to something, talk to your pediatrician first.