Peanut allergy may be overdiagnosed in younger siblings of those with confirmed peanut allergy

Background Siblings of children with peanut allergy (PNA) are reported to have a higher prevalence of PNA than the general population. This prevalence may have both genetic and environmental influences, but may also reflect incorrect PNA diagnoses with less rigorous usage of confirmatory tests in siblings. The Peanut Allergy Registry (PAR), a Canadian database of individuals with PNA, was used to assess whether siblings born after the diagnosis of PNA in the index case (i.e., child with PNA) were more likely to have never been exposed to peanut (PN) and to be diagnosed without an appropriate clinical history or testing.