Pediatricians More Likely to Recommend Early peanut Introduction with New Support Tools
A recent randomized clinical trial published in Pediatrics demonstrates a significant increase in pediatrician recommendations for early peanut introduction following the implementation of targeted educational and clinical support resources. This is crucial as national guidelines recommend early introduction to prevent peanut allergies, yet this practice remains underutilized.
Currently, approximately 8% of U.S. children suffer from food allergies, with peanut allergy affecting over 2% of children nationwide – making it the most common pediatric food allergy.
The study,led by Ruchi Gupta,MD,MPH,a pediatrician and researcher at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, involved 30 pediatric practices across the Chicago and Peoria regions. These practices represented a range of settings,including federally qualified health centers,private clinics,and academic institutions.
Practices assigned to the intervention group received a clinician training video, a decision-support tool integrated into their electronic health records (EHR), and visual aids designed for parents. Control group practices received no such support.Researchers analyzed data from 18,480 infants seen by 290 clinicians during their four- or six-month well-child visits.
Results showed a substantial advancement in guideline adherence within the intervention group. For infants considered low-risk, 84% received appropriate counseling on early peanut introduction compared to just 35% in the control group. Among infants identified as high-risk, adherence rose to 27% in the intervention group, up from 10% in the control group.
“We found that supporting pediatricians with training, electronic health record prompts, and educational materials for parents substantially improved their ability to counsel families on early peanut introduction,” explained Dr. Gupta. She emphasized the importance of this support given the fast pace of four- and six-month pediatric visits, stating, “Our hope is that these conversations will help parents feel confident introducing peanut products early. We want to reverse the trend of increasing food allergies in the U.S. through prevention.”
Lucy Bilaver, PhD, Associate Professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of medicine and lead statistician for the study, highlighted the value of utilizing EHR data for this type of pragmatic research.
Dr. Gupta holds the Mary Ann and J. Milburn smith Research professorship for a Sr. Scientist in Child Health Research at Lurie Children’s. The study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID U01AI138907). Researchers suggest that the success of this intervention warrants wider implementation to help prevent peanut allergy in children.
