Can a child "grow out of" a peanut allergy?

Peanut allergies only resolve in about 20% of patients. Loss of sensitivity over time with strict avoidance is more likely to happen in patients with mild to moderate initial reactions, not as likely for those with severe skin or blood test evidence of peanut allergy, nor those with a history of anaphylactic reaction.

We generally track peanut IgE antibodies in the blood every 1-2 years initially to see if there is a downward trend. If you are one of the lucky 20%, and your blood test drops to minimally positive or completely negative, we will generally confirm this with a skin test. Only if both the skin test and the blood test are negative would we consider an oral peanut challenge. Then depending on how severe the initial reaction was, we may recommend doing the challenge in the office under observation with emergency medications and personnel nearby, rather than at home.