Australian research may change how peanut allergies are diagnosed in infants

A landmark Australian study has found that more than a third of infants previously diagnosed with a peanut allergy may safely eat peanuts. Conducted by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the National Allergy Centre of Excellence, the research tested over 1,800 children across 10 paediatric hospitals nationwide. The findings, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, indicate that clinical history and allergy testing alone are often insufficient for accurate diagnosis. Researchers involved in the ADAPT program fed infants small amounts of peanut under medical supervision to build resistance and assess tolerance. Of the 778 babies exposed to increasing peanut doses, 271 showed no allergic reaction and are now considered not allergic. Health experts stress that oral food challenges conducted in a medically supervised setting are necessary to confirm whether a child has truly outgrown the allergy or was never allergic. The study highlights Australia’s high rate of food allergies, with about one in 30 children diagnosed with a peanut allergy, but suggests current testing methods may overdiagnose the condition. Parents are advised to work closely with GPs or allergists to confirm diagnoses through supervised challenges rather than avoiding peanuts based solely on initial test results.