Peanut allergy is a growing problem for a number of children; but a new study, published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, shows that children who avoided peanut in early childhood were 10 times as likely to develop peanut allergy than those who were exposed to peanut.

Dietary guidelines in the United Kingdom, Australia and United States advise avoidance of peanut consumption during pregnancy, breastfeeding and infancy. But this apparently hasn't helped: studies have shown eliminating food allergens at this time doesn't prevent an allergy from developing.

Now researchers from the United Kingdom, Israel and Louisiana, suggest these recommendations could be behind the increase in peanut allergy in these countries. They cautioned that further evidence is needed before those guidelines should be changed.

Source: the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
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