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Health: New Study Says Peanut Allergies Can Be Prevented

By Stephanie Stahl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Peanut allergies are rising and now affect more than two percent of U.S. children. Now, a groundbreaking new study says they can be prevented.

The chances Evan Woollen would develop a peanut allergy were high. His mom Kerry Christopher says, "He was 11-months-old at the time. He had serious eczema. He had an egg allergy."

Evan was enrolled in a study at King's College London that involved more than 600 babies at high risk for peanut allergies. They were between four and 11-months-old and were assigned to eat peanut protein or avoid it.

The results show introducing peanuts early dramatically decreased the risk of developing an allergy to them.

Dr. Gideon Lack with Kings College London says, "We found that feeding young infants with eczema peanut in the first year of life was associated with a striking reduction in the prevalence of peanut allergy and seemed to prevent more than 80 percent of cases of peanut allergy."

Dr. Hugh Sampson thinks it's a landmark study that could change food allergy guidelines.

He says, "I think we will now see the prevalence of peanut allergy in this young population start to drop instead of continuing to increase the way we have seen over the last 10 to 15 years."

Now eight-years-old, Evan never became allergic to peanuts and can eat whatever he wants.

Evan says, "My favorite food is peanut butter."

Children in the study, like Evan, were followed until they were five-years-old. Researchers are encouraging parents with high risk babies, if there are allergies in the family, to talk to their doctors about whether introducing peanut is right for them.

You shouldn't do this on your own. It can be very dangerous.

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