About the LEAP Study

Peanut allergy is an aberrant response by the body’s immune system to harmless peanut proteins in the diet. The prevalence of peanut allergy has doubled over the past 10 years in the UK and other countries that advocate avoidance of peanuts during pregnancy, lactation, and infancy. The LEAP study was based on a hypothesis that regular eating of peanut-containing products, when started during infancy, will elicit a protective immune response instead of an allergic immune reaction.

LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut allergy) was a randomized controlled clinical trial designed and conducted by the Immune Tolerant Network (ITN) to determine the best strategy to prevent peanut allergy in young children. 640 children between 4 and 11 months of age who were identified as high risk for peanut allergy, based on an existing egg allergy and/or severe eczema, were enrolled in the study.

The children were randomly assigned to two groups – avoidance or consumption: Peanut allergies are very similar to other allergies, which are abnormal responses by the body’s immune system to otherwise harmless substances. In a peanut allergic child, when the immune system detects peanut protein, antibodies are produced that trigger an inappropriate immune response.

Consumption: Consumed a peanut containing snack with three or more meals (equivalent to 6 grams of peanut protein each week), Instructions until the age of 5

Avoidance: Did not ingest peanut-containing foods, Instructions until the age of 5

The proportion of each group that developed peanut allergy by 5 years of age was used to determine which approach - avoidance or consumption - works best for preventing peanut allergy.

All participants received allergy testing, dietary counselling, physical examinations and were asked to provide occasional blood samples for use in examining differences in immune system development in each of the study groups.

Results showed

Early introduction of peanuts into the weaning diets of atopic infants at high risk of peanut allergy can prevent the development of peanut allergy. A single UK study suggests infants with egg allergy or severe eczema and a negative peanut oral challenge benefit from consuming peanut products regularly (at least 2 g of peanut protein 3 times a week) to prevent the development of peanut allergy. There was a 70–86% risk reduction of developing peanut allergy.

LEAP Study 

BSACI guideline

About Peanut Allergy

Over the past several decades, faced with the growing problem of peanut allergy, health authorities in the UK, Canada, and US recommended that children at high risk for peanut allergy should not eat any peanut-containing foods under the age of three. More recently however, scientists have begun calling this strategy into question. Many scientists now believe that by repeatedly exposing the child's immune system to peanut at an early age, their body learns to tolerate the peanut proteins. Evidence for this theory comes from several other countries whose children typically consume high levels of peanut protein from infancy onwards, yet fail to show the high rates of peanut allergy observed in Western countries where peanut is generally avoided in early life.

There is currently no cure for peanut allergy. Children who are allergic to peanuts must take great care to be vigilant in avoiding all traces of peanut from their diet. In addition, peanut allergic children often need to wear a Medic-Alert bracelet and, at all times, carry a pre-loaded adrenaline (epinephrine) injection kit with them for use in event of a severe reaction.

What happens during an allergic reaction to peanut?

The allergic reaction to peanut occurs soon after exposure (usually through ingestion). Typical immediate allergic reactions include the development of hives on the face or body; blotching around the mouth (which may spread to the rest of the body); immediate runny nose, sneezing and itchy-watery eyes; coughing; choking or gagging; wheezing and trouble breathing; and cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. Although allergic reactions are usually mild to moderate in severity and usually terminate spontaneously or after the administration of an antihistamine, severe reactions - known as anaphylaxis – can occur. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction which involves several parts of the body and can be fatal if not treated immediately.

Why is peanut allergy a problem?

The prevalence of peanut allergy has doubled over the past 10 years in countries that advocate avoidance of peanuts during pregnancy, lactation and infancy. Peanut allergy now affects approximately 1.5% of young children and is often diagnosed in children less than 2 years old.

While there are many types of food allergies, peanut allergies are particularly troublesome, for a number of reasons. Foremost is the fact that peanut allergy often results in more severe reactions than other food allergies, up to and including sudden death. In addition, other than the complete avoidance of peanut, there is currently no available therapy for the treatment of peanut allergy. Importantly, symptoms can occur following exposure to only very tiny (or 'trace') amounts of peanut protein. Because peanuts are used in a wide variety of food products, trace amounts of peanut protein can be found in many foods - from chocolate bars to fruit snacks, making avoidance difficult.

NHS - Introducing Allergens

The British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) - Allergy Prevention

Podcasts:

StompCast - Dr Alex George with Dr Helen Evans-Howells

Dr Karan Explores: Why allergies are on the rise fast - with professor Adam Fox

Blogs:

Blog by Lune + Wild: Allergen Weaning Made Simple: A Conversation with Natasha Amoretti from Baby, Are You Nuts?

Essentially, we are a food company, and we believe it's our responsibility to provide education around food. This includes helping others develop the skills to grow their own food, learn to cook, and build community by sharing meals together. We aim to achieve this by creating community kitchen gardens and kitchens, as we believe it is a human right to have access to fresh, nourishing food and a space to gather.

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