A 2015 Food Standards Agency study found that peanut sensitisation increased with age, from 0.4 per cent at one year to 2.0 per cent by three years old - similar to findings from a study in the mid 1990s. It noted that 65 per cent of mothers had avoided eating peanuts during their pregnancy, but that "sensitisation to peanut was not associated with maternal peanut consumption/ avoidance behaviour during pregnancy."²²

Recent research suggests eating peanuts at a young age can prevent peanut allergy in high-risk infants. The LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) study included 640 children aged 4-11 months, with pre- existing severe eczema and/or egg allergy. Half of the children were asked to eat peanut-containing foods three or more times each week, and the other half to avoid eating peanuts until five years of age. While 17.3 per cent of the avoidance group developed peanut allergy, less than 1 per cent of children who consumed peanuts developed peanut allergy by the age of five.²³

NHS Choices says: "There's some evidence that introducing peanuts early in life may reduce the risk of peanut allergy, but this may not apply to all children and requires confirmation from further studies."⁴