A new study suggests babies should be given peanut products between 4 and 6 months old

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Peanut allergy is the second most common food allergy in children and is on the increase. it occurs in about 1 in 50 children and 1 in 200 adults.

A study was conducted by researchers at the National Institute for Health and Care Research. In their observations, scientists noticed that most peanut allergies developed between six and 12 months of age. Exciting new research suggests that introducing peanuts to babies at around four to six months can lower the risk of developing a peanut allergy by 77 percent.

This is important as food allergies have been on the rise in recent years, with an estimated 1 in 13 kids or around two students per classroom reported to have a food allergy according to the CDC.

To prevent possible choking hazards, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests introducing children to ground peanuts instead of whole or broken peanuts.