Giving babies smooth peanut butter could provide lifelong allergy defence

After that point, peanut butter be consumed three-to-four times a week adding up to around one-and-a-half or two tablespoons of peanut butter a week.

It means the body’s first experience of peanut is in the tummy where it is more likely to be recognised as food rather than on the skin, where it may be more likely to be treated as a threat.

The team suggest starting at four months if possible as this is before food allergies tend to emerge.

However, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) say parents can give smooth peanut butter to children from six months old, external and the World Health Organization (WHO) argues for exclusive breast feeding, external for the first six months.

It remains unclear whether children need to consume peanut for the full five years to reduce the allergy risk, or if just the impact is confined to the early period of their development.

Prof Lack says the “safest and wisest” thing to do would be the full five years as “we’re talking about normal nutritious foods, not medication”.

The team estimate 100,000 cases of peanut allergy could be prevented globally every year.

The US’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases funded the Kings College study.

The organisation’s director Dr Jeanne Marrazzo said: “Today’s findings should reinforce parents’ and caregivers’ confidence that feeding their young children peanut products beginning in infancy according to established guidelines can provide lasting protection from peanut allergy.”

Follow James on X, external (formerly twitter).