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A world-first national program has discovered more than a third of babies thought to have a peanut allergy could safely have the diagnosis removed. And the findings are changing how Australia's health care system approaches infant food allergies.

The research, led by Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE) in partnership with 10 pediatric public hospitals across Australia, found 35% of infants with a recent reaction to peanut and a positive allergy test didn't react during an oral food challenge. Without the challenge, these children would have likely continued to avoid peanut in case they triggered an allergic reaction.

MCRI Population Allergy Group senior research clinician and ADAPT medical lead Dr. Tim Brettig said the study highlighted the importance of confirming a peanut allergy before committing children to long-term treatment.

"We found more than one third of infants who were suspected to have peanut allergy based on their history and initial tests no longer reacted when they underwent a supervised food challenge," he said. "Being able to identify those children early allows them to avoid an unnecessary allergy label and the burden of avoiding peanut."

The findings form part of a study evaluating the ADAPT Peanut Oral Immunotherapy Program , which was launched in 2024 by the NACE, hosted at MCRI. ADAPT is the first peanut allergy treatment program offered in Australian public hospitals for infants outside of a clinical trial setting.

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