As the number of children in the United States who have a peanut allergy or other food allergy continues to rise, more schools are becoming "nut-free." Even children without peanut allergies are forbidden to bring school lunches or afternoon snacks that have nuts. The reason: fear of setting off serious, even life-threatening reactions in other children with nut allergies.

Indeed, tree nut and peanut allergy are two of the most dangerous types of food allergies. Most people with peanut allergies will have a reaction one of the first times they are exposed. And of all the food allergies, tree nut and peanut allergies are the leading causes of life-threatening anaphylaxis, in which swelling affects the whole body and can obstruct the airways.

From 1997 to 2003, the incidence of peanut allergy in children doubled. Several theories have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. It might have something to do with the fact that Americans tend to eat dry-roasted peanuts. There is some suggestion that the dry roasting process, alters the peanut protein such that it will cause children who eat dry-roasted Peanuts are processed differntly (such as boiling) in other countries.



What's more, a 2007 study published in the journal Pediatrics found that children are being exposed to peanuts and developing peanut allergies at an earlier age than they were a decade ago. The Duke University Medical Center team that did the study is now investigating whether eating small amounts of peanuts might help children who are prone to allergies mount an appropriate immune response.


In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advised pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to avoid eating peanuts to reduce their child's risk of developing a peanut allergy. They also recommended delaying giving peanuts to children younger than age 3who are at higher risk of food allergies — for instance, those who have an immediate relative who's allergic to peanuts. But more recent research now suggests that there is no association between a mother's intake of peanuts during pregnancy or nursing and her child's risk of developing a peanut allergy. And the evidence about the best time to introduce peanuts is mixed. A study conducting jointly in Israel and United Kingdom in 8600 children noted a nearly 10 fold increase in incidence of peanut allergy among U.K. children compared to Israeli children. It was found that Israeli children were given peanut (contained in teething biscuits) at a much younger age than those in the U.K. Certainly more research is needed to clarify the situation.