Are You Allergic To Peanuts Because Your Mother Ate Peanuts While Pregnant?

In 1998, the UK government issued precautionary advice that pregnant or breast-feeding women with a family history of atopy, may wish to avoid eating peanuts during pregnancy and lactation.  The government said that the result of woman eating peanuts at this time of their lives, when they are pregnant, has led to children being allergic to peanuts.  This has been a controversial issue for years.  Some doctors are supporting it and some are not.

The American Academy of Pediatrics confirmed that nutritional options during pregnancy, lactation, and the first year of life that may affect the development of atopic disease (atopic dermatitis, asthma, food allergy) in early life.  In 2008, it was noted that current evidence did not support this.  They did, however, support the idea that breastfeeding for at least 4 months, compared with feeding formula made with intact cow milk protein, prevents or delays the occurrence of atopic dermatitis, cow milk allergy, and wheezing in early childhood.  The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reported that their main finding was of an increased risk of asthma symptoms, but not atopy, with daily (compared with "rare") consumption of nut products, but not nuts per se.  As you can see, this debate has gone on for years.

So exactly, what is the stance today.  According to the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, a study suggests that in this cohort of infants with likely milk or egg allergy, maternal ingestion of peanut during pregnancy was strongly associated with a high level of peanut sensitization.

There are some products that are very tasty without peanuts.  Chocolate Sunbutter Bars are very healthy,  Maranatha All Natural Sun Flower Seed Butter, and Carb Not BeanIt Butter, which is soynut butter.  Of course, for the crunch, there are Sunflower Seeds, Jalapeno flavored Sunflower Seeds, Bar-B-Q flavored Sunflower Seeds and  Bacon flavored Sunflower Seeds.  YUM!

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