Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Kids
  3. Childhood Safety
  4. Food Safety
  5. The Prevalence Of Peanut Allergy

 

 

The Prevalence of Peanut Allergy

The incidence of peanut allergy is increasing in U.S. children, and the problem can be serious. Learn how to recognize the symptoms and how to avoid a reaction.
familyeducation logo
FamilyEducation Staff
Updated: December 1, 2022
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

In this article, you will find:

  • Incidence and causes
  • Symptoms and triggers
  • Advice for schools

Incidence and causes

The Prevalence of Peanut Allergy

First the airlines stopped offering in-flight peanuts. Then you started getting notices from your child's school, or phone calls from the parents of his friends, urging you to avoid sending along any foods containing even a smidgen of peanuts. Perhaps your own child has been diagnosed with a peanut allergy. If you think you're hearing more about peanut allergy in kids these days, you're not imagining it.

Incidence of Allergy on the Rise

According to the Centers for Disease Control, peanut allergy doubled in children over the five-year period from 1997-2002. In 2007, approximately four out of every hundred children were reported to have a food allergy, and about half of those, or 1,500,000 children, were allergic to peanuts.

The peanut is not truly a nut – it's a legume, like peas and lentils. But researchers at Allergy Resources International have found that there is about a 35% chance that you will also be allergic to tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans, and cashews) if you are allergic to peanuts.

Peanut allergy should be taken seriously – it's the most common cause of food-related death, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Even a slight exposure to the allergen can bring on a violent and life-threatening reaction in those who are severely allergic.

While peanut allergy can be a lifelong condition, recent studies have found that approximately 20% of children will outgrow it by age six. That means that it's worth repeating the allergy test as a young allergic child grows older.

What Could Be the Cause?

New numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics show that the number of children diagnosed with food allergies has gone up 18% in the past 10 years. In fact, all allergic diseases in children (food allergies, environmental allergies, asthma, and eczema) are on the increase.

Dr. Michael C. Young, a pediatric immunologist at Children's Hospital Boston and the author of The Peanut Allergy Answer Book, was asked by pbs.org about possible causes for the increase. One possible explanation, according to Dr. Young, is the "Hygiene Hypothesis," which posits that increased sanitation and cleaner lifestyles have reduced microbial exposure, facilitating the rise in asthma and allergic disease in the Western world. But Dr. Young acknowledges that there are other theories, as well. For example, a 2003 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that there was a strong association between consumption of soy milk or soy formula in the first two years of life and the development of peanut allergy. Researchers also found that about 90% of allergic children had been exposed during the first six months of life to skin creams that contained peanut oil.

Next: Symptoms and triggers

Was this article helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.
familyeducation logo
About the author
FamilyEducation Staff

This writer is a part of the FamilyEducation editorial team. Our team is comprised of parents, experts, and content professionals dedicated to bringing you the most accurate and relevant information in the parenting space.

View more articles from this author

What's hot

  • Attention Seeking Behaviors KidsHow to Handle an Attention-…
  • an age-by-age guide to teaching kids about "the birds & the bees" KidsAn Age-by-Age Guide to…
  • How to stop bullying KidsHow to Stop Bullying: Real…
  • Treating Burns KidsFirst Aid For Burns: How to…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Medical Review Policy
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.