Peanut allergies affect two percent of children in the United States and diagnosis rates are rising. Are there ways to help prevent peanut allergies in children? New guidelines from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases say yes. 

Purvi Parikh, MD, assistant professor in the departments of Pediatrics and Medicine at NYU School of Medicine, spoke with The Wall Street Journal to clarify the new guidelines. One surprising finding is that earlier exposure to peanuts may be a factor. “Because we’ve seen such a rise in allergies, many studies are looking to into how to prevent them or make them less severe. The thought is, maybe with earlier exposure and increasing the timing of when children eat peanuts that may make a difference,” Dr. Parikh says. 

Watch more on The Wall Street Journal.