This deeper look into the benefits of early peanut exposure is brought to you by Aralyte; however, all opinions are my own.

I was talking to my daughter-in-law a few weeks ago about a new study which shows that exposing infants to peanut butter early in life can reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy. With 15,000 children across the country rushed to emergency rooms each year due to peanut allergies and peanut being the largest cause of anaphylaxis and food-related deaths, this was too important not to find out more about it immediately.

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Early Peanut Exposure – LEAP Study Results

The LEAP study was conducted by the Immune Tolerance Network and sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (part of the National Institutes of Health). LEAP stands for Learning Early About Peanut allergy. The study found that contrary to previous recommendations by allergists to avoid infant exposure to commonly allergenic foods, it was more actually beneficial to expose them. In fact, avoidance may have contributed to the rise in food allergies including peanut over the last few decades.

In the study, a group of infants deemed at high-risk of developing a peanut allergy was dived into two groups. One group consumed peanut-containing snack foods at least three times a week, starting between the ages of 4 months and 11 months. The study found that only 3% of the babies in this group developed the allergy by their fifth birthday. The other group was told to avoid peanut products. The researchers found that 17% of the avoidance group babies developed the allergy by the time they were five years old.

Factors such as a c-section birth or family history of peanut allergy, egg allergy, hay fever, asthma, eczema, or tingling of the mouth upon eating certain fruits are all indicators that your child may be at a higher risk for developing a food allergy. Your child’s doctor will determine if your child should undergo diagnostic testing, such as a skin prick test, prior to starting Aralyte.

That lead the LEAP study researchers to recommend early peanut exposure for infants. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released the Consensus Communication on Early Peanut Introduction and the Prevention of Peanut Allergy in High-risk Infants in which they outlined and recommended the LEAP protocol.

The study LEAP study findings and AAP Consensus Statement are great news for parents, especially those who already have a severe peanut allergy in the family. By following a peanut exposure protocol, it’s possible any new offspring they have can avoid having to deal with the allergy at all.

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Aralyte – A Safe & Convenient Way to Expose Your Infant to Peanut Products

That’s where Aralyte comes in. It’s a safe and convenient way to proved the only doctor-recommended liquid peanut formulation that can be mixed with breastmilk, formula, or baby food (or try Ame’s method of sucking it directly from the tube!).

The kit includes ingredient information (all-natural distilled peanut extract made from organic peanut flour, organic safflower oil, and vitamins E, A & D) and a recommendation that the first doses take place in your doctor’s office (schedule it as part of your child’s checkup). Once the first dose has been administered, your doctor can give you the best home schedule for your child.

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We opted to do Ame’s first dose at home because her grandfather is a firefighter/EMT with 35+ years of experience and we’re 2 minutes away from the closest fire station and seven minutes from our hospital. Still, if Ame were high-risk for a peanut allergy, we probably would have opted for the doctor’s office or hospital parking lot because if a child is allergic, swelling can block her airway in a matter of minutes.

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The other benefit of these single-serve, premeasured, and disposable dosing tubes is for parents who have a severe peanut allergy themselves or another family member in the home is affected. There’s no worry of cross contamination of kitchenware and minimal exposure possibilities – just dose and toss. Each dose contains 4 mL of Aralyte. The dosage is based on the LEAP Study results for the optimal exposure.

A safe, convenient, and disposable way to expose your child to peanut products - Early Peanut Exposure Found to Prevent Allergies in New Study #peanutallergy #earlyintroduction #ad

This particular formulation provides a choke-free way to expose your infant to peanut allergens to promote her own system to develop a resistance to prevent her from becoming allergic. Thus relieving you from the worry of a deadly allergic reaction to an accidental ingestion of peanuts.

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We want to make sure this precious little one is kept as safe as we possibly can. Ame is such a light in our life, and the thought of losing her to a preventable medical condition is just not something we’re willing to live with.

Aralyte can be purchased at aralyte.com

Read more about the LEAP and LEAP-ON Study & Results at www.leapstudy.com

Did you know about the new recommendation and do you have a little one who needs to be treated?


Please Note: 

Aralyte closely follows the protocol used in the LEAP Study, which showed that early oral introduction of peanuts could prevent allergy development in high-risk infants; however, Aralyte does not promise the same results as the LEAP Study and does not cure or treat existing peanut allergies. Additionally, while Aralyte contains all organic ingredients and is in the final stages of organic certification, they have not yet received the official certification.