{"id":27008,"date":"2025-07-10T13:24:38","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T07:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/?p=27008"},"modified":"2025-07-10T13:24:41","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T07:39:41","slug":"whos-feeding-babies-peanuts-early-too-often-not-low-income-or-minority-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revoscience.com\/en\/whos-feeding-babies-peanuts-early-too-often-not-low-income-or-minority-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"Who\u2019s feeding babies peanuts early? Too often, not low-income or minority parents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Feeding peanut-containing foods early cuts allergy risk, but guidance isn\u2019t reaching all families<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CHICAGO — Introducing peanut-containing foods to infants can dramatically reduce the risk of peanut allergies later in childhood. But many parents\u2014particularly those who are Black, Hispanic, lower-income, or have less formal education\u2014aren\u2019t receiving this potentially lifesaving guidance from their pediatrician and are introducing peanuts at much lower rates, reports a large new Northwestern Medicine study.

The study surveyed in 2021 a nationally representative sample of over 3,000 U.S. parents of children aged seven to 42 months. By the time their child turned one, 51% of white respondents had introduced peanut-containing foods, compared to 42% of Black, 36% of Hispanic, and 35% of Asian American parents. Early introduction was also significantly more common among high-income and college-educated parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it came to advice on when and how to introduce peanuts, only about half of Black and Hispanic parents said their pediatrician brought it up, compared to nearly two-thirds of white parents. Just as concerning, only 29% of Black parents believed peanut introduction before 12 months would help prevent peanut allergies, compared to 53% of white parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These disparities are especially troubling because children from low-income and minority families already experience\u00a0higher rates of food allergies<\/a>\u00a0and more severe outcomes.

\u201cOur findings suggest that families from racial and ethnic minority groups and those with lower incomes are less likely to receive accurate, timely guidance from their primary care provider on how to introduce peanuts during infancy,\u201d said first author Dr. Christopher Warren, assistant professor of preventive medicine (epidemiology) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s surprising how inequitable implementation of guidelines remains, especially given how safe and effective early peanut feeding appears to be,\u201d Warren added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Warren, this is the first study to closely examine how the food allergy prevention guidance parents reportedly receive from their child\u2019s doctor varies based on race, income, and other background factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings were published July 8 in the journal Academic Pediatrics.<\/em><\/a>

What parents need to know<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2017,\u00a0national guidelines<\/a>\u00a0have recommended introducing peanut-containing foods around 4 to 6 months of age\u2014a major shift prompted by\u00a0a landmark clinical<\/a>\u00a0trial that showed early introduction cuts peanut allergy risk by more than 80%. Before that, parents were often told to delay peanut feeding out of concern it might trigger allergies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peanut allergy, which can be life-threatening, is on the rise and now affects an estimated 2%<\/a> of U.S. children. Strong evidence from randomized trials shows that early and frequent exposure to peanut products, alongside other complementary foods, helps prevent peanut allergy later in childhood, especially in babies with risk factors like eczema or egg allergy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guidelines recommend offering peanut-containing products\u2014such as smooth peanut butter thinned with water or infant-safe peanut puffs\u2014after other developmentally appropriate foods have been successfully introduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closing the gap<\/strong>
To make early peanut introduction more equitable, Warren said primary care providers, especially those serving underserved communities, need better tools and resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know that parents and primary care providers have limited time together during well-child visits, and many other topics compete for attention,\u201d Warren said. \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s essential that both groups are equipped with high-quality information and simple, effective guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linguistically and culturally tailored handouts can also help parents feel more confident introducing peanuts safely at home, Warren added. And larger policy efforts, such as adding peanut-containing products to WIC food packages, could improve access for low-income families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With about 40% of U.S. infants insured through Medicaid, Warren said Medicaid state programs could also be key in scaling education and outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Northwestern University authors who supported the study are Dr. Alanna Stinson, Dr. Waheeda Samady, Dr. Lucy Bilaver, Dr. Sai Nimmagadda, and Dr. Ruchi Gupta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This study, titled \u201cDisparities in Caregiver-reported Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors, and Guidance Regarding Primary Prevention of Peanut Allergy,\u201d was funded by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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