According to News-Medical.Net, many children who have been diagnosed with peanut allergy are actually able to safely eat peanuts.

"Diagnostic tests for peanut allergy have poor sensitivity and specificity," concludes the new research paper. "Previously described diagnostic cut-off levels do not have general applicability."

In a study at Sydney Children's Hospital in Australia, a third of children diagnosed with peanut allergy were able to eat peanuts during a peanut challenge in a hospital setting.

"If there is a positive result, people need to ask whether it might be worth a peanut challenge in a hospital environment, especially if their child has never had an allergic reaction to peanut before," says Immunologist Dr. Brynn Wainstein.

If the peanut challenge refutes the allery diagnosis, then families could avoid much unnecessary worrying and anxiety.