Peanut Allergies Start Before Birth

Pregnant women who eat peanuts may put their infants at risk for peanut allergies, according to a new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Researchers evaluated 503 U.S. infants aged 3 months to 15 months with suspected milk or egg allergies or significant eczema and positive allergy tests to milk or egg. The infants had no previous diagnosis of 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 the test result.

“Researchers in recent years have been uncertain about the role of peanut consumption during pregnancy on the risk of peanut allergy in infants," said Scott H. Sicherer, MD, professor of pediatrics, Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “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."

In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that women whose infants were at increased risk of allergies based upon family history consider avoiding peanut products while pregnant and breast feeding. However, the recommendation was withdrawn in 2008 due to limited scientific evidence to support it. The Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR), which was just awarded a renewed $29.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, is conducting this ongoing, observational study to help better understand the risk factors behind a child's developing peanut allergy, as well as allergies to milk and egg.