The relationship between maternal consumption of nuts and allergies in children is not clear. Prenatal exposure to nuts and nut products may increase the risk of nut allergies and asthma in children, especially to those genetically predisposed to these conditions. Therefore, refrain from nut consumption during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, especially if there is a family history of allergies or asthma.
Nut Consumption during Pregnancy
Maternal consumption of nuts and nut products during pregnancy can affect airway development in the fetus; it might influence the development of allergy and asthma in childhood. A study in the July 2008 issue of the "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine" investigated the effects of maternal food consumption during pregnancy on the incidence of childhood asthma. The researchers questioned more than 4,000 pregnant women about their consumption of nuts and nut products during their last month of pregnancy. These researchers also followed the women's children over eight years. They found a slight association between maternal nut consumption and an increase in childhood asthma and allergies. The authors cautioned, however, that further studies need to be completed before dietary advice can be given to pregnant women.
Family History
A family history of peanut allergy is the only identified risk factor for peanut allergy in children, according to an article published in the March 2003 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine." Researchers evaluated medical information from almost 14,000 preschool children and found no evidence of increased risk of allergy due to maternal diet. The study stated that peanut allergy and maternal diet were not correlated. However, the use of skin ointments containing peanut oil during infancy increased the chance of developing allergies by almost seven times as much.
Maternal Influence on Allergy
Allergies and asthma in infants are more commonly inherited from the mother; they may reflect consumption of peanuts by pregnant or breastfeeding women, according to a study in the "British Medical Journal." Researchers investigated the incidence of peanut allergy in infants and the prevalence of allergy in their families by interviewing more than 600 adults and children with suspected peanut allergies. The study found that 0.1 percent of the participants' grandparents, 1.6 percent of their parents and 6.9 percent of their siblings reported peanut allergies. This indicated that an allergy to peanuts is more common in descendants of people with peanut allergies than in the general population.
Peanut Allergy and Pregnancy
A study in the February 1999 issue of "Pediatric Allergy and Immunology" evaluated the impact of consuming peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the incidence of allergic responses to peanuts in children. The researchers recruited 43 children up to three years of age for the study. Twenty-five subjects had confirmed peanut allergies, while 18 people were control subjects. The study found a significant correlation between peanut allergies in children and the consumption of peanuts by pregnant or nursing women. The researchers concluded that mothers who consumed peanuts more than once per week were more four times more likely to have a child who was born with a peanut allergy.
References
- "Pediatric Allergy and Immunology"; Exposure to Peanuts in Utero and in Infancy and the Development of Sensitization to Peanut Allergens in Young Children; L. Frank, et al.; February 1999
- "British Medical Journal"; Peanut Allergy in Relation to Heredity, Maternal Diet, and Other Atopic Diseases: Results of a Questionnaire Survey, Skin Prick Testing, and Food Challenges; J. Hourihane, et al.; August 1996
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Factors Associated with the Development of Peanut Allergy in Childhood; G. Lack, et al.; March 2003
- "American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine"; Maternal Food Consumption during Pregnancy and the Longitudinal Development of Childhood Asthma; S. Willers, et al.; July 2008
