Can parents prevent peanut allergies?
Peanut allergies are on the rise in children. Can they be prevented in the womb or early childhood?
Rumours are swirling that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting her first child, and you may be surprised about how they started. She wasn’t spotted shopping for nursery items. She hadn’t gained weight. No — she refused to eat peanut paste at a royal event.
Peanut allergies affect about two per cent of Canadians, but they're much more common in children than adults. The number of Canadian children affected tripled from 1997 to 2008, and it’s not known why. This is particularly concerning because an allergy to peanuts can be quite severe — just 1/8000th of a peanut can trigger an anaphylactic reaction in some people, and the legumes are responsible for 90 per cent of deaths from allergy-related anaphylactic shock.
Should women avoid peanuts during pregnancy?
Knowing that a peanut allergy can be so serious, many parents wonder if there's something they can do to prevent it either during pregnancy or when their children are young. But if you’re confused about whether or not you should avoid eating peanuts during pregnancy, you’re not alone. One study found that the more peanuts pregnant women ate during their third trimester, the higher their babies’ risk for sensitivity to peanuts. However, researchers are now looking at whether eating peanuts while pregnant could actually increase peanut tolerance. Until the results of that new study are known, doctors will likely recommend that expectant mothers with a family history of peanut allergies not consume peanuts while pregnant.
Could introducing peanut products at a later (or earlier) age prevent allergies?
Parents also wonder if they should feed age-appropriate foods that contain peanuts to their baby as soon as he or she is ready for solid food, at some later age, or not at all. The answer may come in 2013, when we should have the results from a study headed by Dr. Gideon Lack, a researcher in London, England. Dr. Lack is tracking two sets of children: One set is avoiding peanuts until age three, and the other is eating age-appropriate peanut snacks three times per week.
Other causes of food allergies
In earlier research, Dr. Lack found that peanut sensitization in children can also be caused by the application of ointments and creams containing peanut oil to inflamed skin. This means that reducing peanut exposure may involve more than just avoiding certain foods.
If you’re concerned about peanut exposure, consider keeping your home entirely peanut-free. Avoid toiletries or other products containing peanut oil so that you don’t pick up trace amounts from surfaces, and learn how to read labels to avoid consuming foods that may contain traces of nuts.
Elizabeth Goldenberg, Food Allergy Expert and Lawyer, is the founder of OneSpot Allergy.
Content provided by The Mark News.
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What do you think?
Alison (not verified) says ....
My son has a peanut/tree nut allergy as well as fish. I did not eat many nuts (peanut or otherwise) when I was pregnant and nursing but did eat fish about twice a week. So basically I am confused about the cause as well! Thank you for publishing allergy articles.
Guest_350072 says ....
What I find interesting is that, when I lived in Uganda, I did not know of a single peanut allergy among the locals and the children were often given groundnut (peanut) sauce as one of their first foods. Why is there such a rise in North America and not in Eastern Africa?
mel32914 says ....
My son has a severe nut allergy, confirmed by numerous blood tests. I ate a huge amount of peanut butter (nearly every day) while I was pregnant. I gave him pb when he was one year old, the 2nd time he had a small reaction where his eye swelled... we have taken all nut products out of the house. I did not eat peanuts during my 2nd pregnancy, and do not know if my 2nd son has an allergy to nuts yet... he's not yet 2. I do plan on getting him tested. It is frustrating not knowing what the cause of these allergies is!
Debbie Bruce (not verified) says ....
I have been collecting some casual stats in my community that shows a real glut of young people around 19 years old with peanut/nut allergies. We are seeing at least 7% peanut/nut allergic...
A local sports camp showed 6.5% in 2008 - 43% in 2009 - 44% in 2010. I phoned my son's pediatrician's office to ask about prevalence and they say they are not seeing an increase either. They wonder if it is because they recommend no peanuts/nuts during pregnancy and until the child is 2 years old. This is not the least bit scientific - but interesting.
Adrienne (not verified) says ....
Thank you for this wonderful article. As the mother to a child with peanut and treenut allergies I appreciate seeing articles that pertain to my family.