If you have food allergies, you may wonder if pregnancy is safe for you and your baby. Although little research has been done on food allergies and pregnancy, some women with food allergies report having healthy pregnancies, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Talk with your doctor and make up your own mind about the risks and benefits of pregnancy.
Food Allergy Diagnosis
If you are not yet diagnosed, a physician usually diagnoses a food allergy after asking you to keep a food and symptom diary and take a skin-prick or blood test. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network lists rash, hives, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping swelling, wheezing, difficulty breathing, fall in blood pressure and blackout among possible symptoms.
Treatment During Pregnancy
As of 2011, while food allergy is incurable, it generally can be treated effectively through avoidance of symptom-triggering food. FAAN offers many resources on living with food allergies and tips on reading product labels, eating out and traveling. During pregnancy, successful food-allergen avoidance protects both you and your baby. As Dr. Dan Atkins of National Jewish Medical and Research Center told BabyZone: "Normally, an unborn baby will not be affected by food allergies unless the woman has a severe reaction."
Dealing With Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a rapid-onset, severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. It can be fatal for mother and unborn baby alike. Review your own anaphylaxis prevention and treatment plans with your doctor. You probably need to start --- or continue --- carrying an epinephrine pen and medical identification with you at all times.
Your Baby's Risk of Food Allergy
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, no scientific evidence supports the practice of eliminating foods like peanuts from pregnant and breastfeeding mothers' diets to prevent food allergies in their babies. If you avoid any food, it should be to treat your own food allergy.
Latex and Casein Concerns
Some people with food allergies are also sensitive or allergic to latex. You can ask your health workers to use nonlatex gloves and other items. If you decide to forgo or postpone pregnancy, or you are planning ahead after your baby's birth, make sure your birth control method does not cause itching, or other problems, in intimate places. Most barrier contraceptives are latex, but you can choose silicone diaphragms and/or polyurethane male and female condoms. If you have milk allergy, be aware that many latex condoms contain casein or milk protein. You may avoid this problem with vegan latex condoms. Ask your doctor about nonallergenic family planning.
Finding Affordable Health Care and Food
If you are in the U.S. and have difficulty affording medical services, seek assistance at HealthCare.gov. Apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition assistance programs like WIC and SNAP or food stamps. Bring the caseworker a doctor's letter explaining your food allergy. Be assertive about getting safe food items.
References
- American Latex Allergy Association: Allergic Cross Reactivity of Latex and Foods
- Babyzone: Food Allergies and Pregnancy; Kristen Gough
- Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network: Do You Have a Food Allergy?
- Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network: Managing Food Allergies During Pregnancy
- Vegan Society: Contraceptives
- World Allergy Organization: Allergic Diseases and Asthma in Pregnancy; I. Pali-Schöll and E. Jensen-Jarolim, MD March 2009
