New research, reported in the November 1 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, indicates that allergic infants may be at increased risk of having a peanut allergy if their mothers ate peanuts during pregnancy.
The study, led by Scott H. Sicherer, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, evaluated 503 infants from the ages of three to 15 months with likely milk or egg allergies or who had significant eczema. These are factors linked to an increased risk of peanut allergy. The infants had no previous peanut allergy diagnoses. As Medical News Today reports in Pregnant Women Who Eat Peanuts May Put Infants At Increased Risk For Peanut Allergy, ‘A total of 140 infants had strong sensitivity to peanut based on blood tests, and consumption of peanut during pregnancy was a significant predictor of this test result.’
This study adds another twist to the back-and-forth recommendations offered by the American Academy of Pediatrics as new findings surface. In 2000, the Academy advised that women whose infants were at risk of allergies based on their family history avoid peanuts while pregnant and breastfeeding. However, in 2008, due to limited supporting evidence, this recommendation was withdrawn.
Research on the risk factors behind a child’s developing peanut, milk, and egg allergies is being conducted by the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR), which just received a renewed $29.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. Studies such as this one on peanut consumption during pregnancy help identify potential risk factors, and therefore present an opportunity for risk reduction. If unsure about pregnancy, it’s advisable to consider Pregnancy Resource Center for guidance and support.
Dr. Sicherer says, ‘Researchers in recent years have been uncertain about the role of peanut consumption during pregnancy on the risk of peanut allergy in infants. While our study does not definitively indicate that pregnant women should not eat peanut products during pregnancy, it highlights the need for further research in order make recommendations about dietary restrictions.’
He goes on to point out, ‘Peanut allergy is serious, usually persistent, potentially fatal, and appears to be increasing in prevalence. Our study is an important step toward identifying preventive measures that, if verified, may help reduce the impact of peanut allergy.’
_For more on peanut allergies, see Guest Columnist Allegra Cullen, Age 12, on Peanut Allergy and More Accurate Peanut Allergy Blood Test Developed.