Early Peanut Introduction: Recent Findings, Latest Guidelines, Q&A

In early January, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) issued clinical guidelines recommending that babies at elevated risk to develop peanut allergy be introduced to peanut-containing foods during infancy. The new NIAID Addendum Guidelines for the Prevention of Peanut Allergy in the United States reflect findings from the ground-breaking LEAP trial (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy).

The expert panel that developed the NIAID addendum guidelines included FARE CEO Dr. James Baker, a longtime allergist, and FARE Board Member Maria Acebal, a food allergy mom and former CEO of Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). In a webinar pre-recorded on Jan. 17, 2017, Dr. Baker and Ms. Acebal discuss the updated guidelines, offering insightful background information, clarifying when and how to introduce peanut to an infant child, and answering questions submitted by members of the food allergy community.

About the Presenters

Dr. Baker is the CEO and chief medical officer of FARE. Dr. Baker has more than 30 years of experience in basic biologic research, concentrating in immunology and host defense. For 20 years, Dr. Baker was chief of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at the University of Michigan, where he helped start the Food Allergy Research Center; he continues to serve as an emeritus professor. At Merck, he served as a senior vice president and the global head of vaccines. He has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed scientific articles.

Ms. Acebal currently serves as a member of FARE’s Board of Directors and a member of the Allergy and Immunology subcommittee of the NIAID Advisory Council. A food allergy mom, she is the former CEO of Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network FAAN), FARE’s legacy organization.