Peanuts are among the most popular snack foods in the United States. Millions of American children are raised on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. PB&Js, as we like to call them, are found in children's lunchboxes around the country. Or at least they used to be.
Now, many school officials ban peanuts or any products containing peanuts from school property. About 2 percent of US. School children will have an allergic reaction to peanuts. And that number is growing.
People allergic to peanuts can develop skin condition's or watery eyes. Children with a peanut allergy can develop a skin condition called eczema.
Some reactions are so severe they can result in death. So far, doctors have advised parents against serving peanut-containing foods to children under the age of 3. But a 2015 British study found that waiting too long most likely is partly to blame for the peanut allergy problem.
Anthony Fauci is head of America's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr.
Fauci spoke to VOA on skype. He notes that in Israel, people have a tradition of feeding peanuts to babies.
He says a team of experts have agreed on new guidance for U. S. pediatricians who specialize in children's allergies.
Fauci calls giving children peanuts a way of “challenging" their bodies. He thinks it could be done safely with some boys and girls, but not with others.
