When it comes to food allergies among children, peanuts no longer possess the top spot. New research shows that peanut allergies have plummeted since 2017, when pediatric experts reversed their guidance about introducing young children to peanut products.
What happened? Historically, doctors advised that parents avoid exposing their infants to common allergens including peanut products, given that food allergies have been on the rise. (One in every 13 children has a food allergy.)
But in 2015 groundbreaking study revealed that offering peanut products to babies could actually reduce their chances of developing an allergy by more than 80%. Two years later, in 2017, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases changed its tune and advised parents to introduce peanuts and other allergens early.
Now, there’s proof that change had a positive impact: The study determined that food allergy rates in children younger than 3 declined after those guidelines were enacted, achieving a 36% reduction in all food allergies, including a 43% drop in peanut allergies alone. This news is particularly promising because 80% of people never outgrow a peanut allergy. So which food ousted peanuts from the top spot of food allergens among young kids? That would be eggs, followed by milk. Peanuts are now in third place.
The 2025 study, which followed about 125,000 children through age 3 across almost 50 pediatric practices, indicated that there were approximately 57,000 fewer children with food allergies. Experts report that two-thirds of children with allergies are diagnosed by age 3.
What causes allergies anyway?
Experts have a number of theories about why the number of people with food allergies continues to grow. Some believe it’s related to the use of antibiotics in young children while others believe it could be our increasingly sanitized environment. No matter the cause, scientists do understand how allergies develop in children. First saturated by the skin (particularly if it’s irritated, inflamed or broken, allergens can trigger the immune system to incorrectly identify them as a threat. When food allergens are introduced to the body through the gut, however, they can build more of a tolerance.
What are the most common allergens?
Although more than 160 foods can cause allergic reactions in children with food allergies many, experts have identified the nine of the most common allergenic foods (which cause about 90% of food allergic reactions). Called the “Big 9,” these foods are:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Fish
- Shellfish (such as shrimp, crab and lobster)
- Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews and walnuts)
- Wheat
- Soybeans
- Sesame
So when should I introduce allergenic foods to my child?
Be sure to check with your child’s pediatrician if come up with a plan that works for your family. The latest research shows that if allergenic foods are introduced to infants when the immune system is still developing, the body can recognize the food protein as safe. Current guidelines suggest that the 9 most common food allergens be introduced one at a time to babies between the ages of four months and six months. Early introduction a couple of times a week (such as a dab of peanut butter or a tiny nibble of scrambled eggs) can help train an infant’s immune system.
