WOMEN WHO eat peanuts during pregnancy may leave their infants more likely to develop peanut allergy in later life. However, current recommendations argue there is no reason yet to avoid consuming peanuts during pregnancy.
As many as 16,000 Irish children may be affected by peanut allergies, according to University College Cork’s Prof Jonathan Hourihane.
There was considerable disagreement, however, about whether consuming peanut products during pregnancy contributes to the incidence of allergy seen in children.
The American Academy of Paediatrics released recommendations last year on the issue, according to Prof Hourihane who is the university’s professor of paediatrics and children’s health.
“They stated there was no strong epidemiological data on a population basis to advise mothers on the exclusion of these products from their diets,” he said yesterday.
A group led by Prof Scott Sicherer at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the United States suggests in a new study that peanut consumption during pregnancy may increase infant risk of allergy.
The research team evaluated 503 infants who already displayed high likelihood of milk or egg allergy or who had eczema. Of these, 140 infants were shown to have strong sensitivity to peanuts.
The researchers found that the mother’s consumption of peanuts during pregnancy was “a significant predictor” of the blood test results.
“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 to make recommendations about dietary restrictions,” Prof Sicherer said.
While the study results could not predict on a population basis, they could help inform individual families with a history of allergy.