If your baby has been told they have a peanut allergy, a new study suggests the label may not be permanent, or even correct. Researchers in Australia found that more than one-third of infants who seemed to be allergic to peanuts could safely eat them when tested under close medical supervision.
That is a big deal for families who spend years reading every food label and carrying epinephrine everywhere. Here is what the study found, why it happens, and how to talk to your child’s allergist about retesting.
What the New Peanut Allergy Study Found
The research comes from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Australia’s National Allergy Centre of Excellence, as reported by CBS News on Nov. 5, 2026. It was published in a journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
The study focused on infants who had recently reacted to peanut and then tested positive for peanut allergy. Instead of stopping there, doctors gave those babies slowly increasing amounts of peanut in a carefully monitored medical setting. This is called an oral food challenge.
The headline result:
- 34.8% of infants who tested positive did not react during the supervised challenge.
- Those children were classed as peanut tolerant and had their allergy diagnosis removed.
- In other words, more than one in three babies thought to be allergic may not have been.
The finding matters in the U.S., where about 1 in 50 children has a peanut allergy, according to figures cited by CBS News.
Why Peanut Allergy Tests Can Get It Wrong
Most allergy diagnoses rely on two things: what happened during a reaction (the clinical history) and a test, such as a skin prick test or a blood test that measures allergy antibodies. Both are useful, but neither is perfect.
Skin and blood tests measure sensitization, not certainty
A positive skin or blood test shows the immune system recognizes peanut protein. It does not always mean the child will have a reaction when they eat it. Doctors call this “sensitization,” and it can exist without true allergy.
Babies’ symptoms can be confusing
Infants get rashes, hives and stomach upset for many reasons, from viruses to eczema flares. A reaction that happened around the same time as eating peanut may have had another cause.
Kirsten Perrett, director of the National Allergy Centre of Excellence, said in a statement that clinical history and allergy testing alone “were not enough” to accurately diagnose peanut allergy in many cases. She noted that oral food challenges are “not currently used routinely for every infant with suspected peanut allergy,” and said a supervised challenge “should be routinely considered” before an infant starts oral immunotherapy.
What Is an Oral Food Challenge?
An oral food challenge is considered the gold standard for confirming a food allergy. Here is how it generally works:
- The child visits an allergy clinic or hospital where staff and emergency medications are on hand.
- They eat a tiny amount of the food, such as peanut powder mixed into a familiar food.
- Doses increase slowly, usually every 15 to 30 minutes, while staff watch for symptoms.
- If a reaction starts, the challenge stops and the child is treated immediately.
- If the child eats a full serving with no reaction, the allergy is ruled out.
The process often takes several hours, plus an observation period afterward.
Never try this at home
Dr. Tania Elliott, an immunologist and CBS News medical contributor, stressed on “CBS Mornings” that a food challenge is “not something to try at home.” Allergic reactions can escalate quickly and can be serious, even in a supervised setting. That is exactly why the challenge must happen with trained staff and emergency treatment ready.
Peanut Allergy Retesting: How to Talk to Your Allergist
If your child carries a peanut allergy diagnosis, use these questions at your next appointment:
- “How was the diagnosis made?” Was it based on a reaction, a test, or both?
- “Is my child a candidate for an oral food challenge?” Ask what the clinic’s criteria are.
- “How often should we retest?” Dr. Elliott said children with food allergies should be re-evaluated every year to see whether they still have the allergy.
- “Should we confirm before starting oral immunotherapy?” Perrett’s team recommends a supervised challenge first.
- “What should our emergency plan look like until then?” Keep epinephrine on hand and up to date in the meantime.
Why Removing a Wrong Label Matters
A food allergy diagnosis shapes daily life: what a child eats at school, which birthday parties feel safe, and how anxious the whole family feels. If the diagnosis is wrong, a child may avoid a nutritious food for years without need.
Avoidance can also backfire. Research behind current U.S. guidelines found that introducing peanut early in infancy, under a doctor’s guidance for high-risk babies, can help prevent peanut allergy from developing. Keeping peanut out of a tolerant child’s diet removes that regular exposure.
On the other hand, if the allergy is real, confirming it gives parents confidence that the precautions they take every day are worth it.
For more on keeping little ones healthy this season, see our age-by-age guide to flu, COVID and RSV vaccines for kids and our holiday toy safety checklist for parents.
The Bottom Line for Parents
A positive peanut allergy test in infancy is not always the final word. This Australian study suggests that roughly one in three babies with that label may be able to eat peanut safely. The only safe way to find out is a supervised oral food challenge with an allergist, never at home.
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk with your pediatrician or a board-certified allergist about your child’s specific situation.
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