Peanut allergy among schoolchildren in Mexico: findings from a national survey

Peanut allergy (PA) is a significant public health problem in Western countries; however, while some previous work has been conducted in Mexico among specific subgroups, the national prevalence of PA in the Mexican population remains unknown. This ENRADAL-MEX study aimed to estimate the prevalence of PA among Mexican schoolchildren. A total of 4,269 children aged 6–12 years were included (mean age: 8.7 years; 51.7% male). The national prevalence of adverse food reactions was 9.5%; among these, 16 cases (0.37%) were associated with peanut consumption, but only 11 presented symptoms within the first hour after ingestion, yielding a PA prevalence of 0.26% (95% CI: 0.14–0.47%). Five cases corresponded to convincing non-severe reactions, and the other five to convincing severe reactions (prevalence of 0.12%; 95% CI: 0.06–0.28%, each). Oral symptoms occurred in 54.5% of cases, and 63.6% also had tree nut allergy, with no reactions to other legumes. Since this national study is the first of its kind and indicates that PA is not currently a public health problem among Mexican schoolchildren, further research is encouraged for more comprehensive results.