Risk of peanut allergy in pregnancy

Increased risk of peanut allergy during pregnancy: Pregnant women should refrain from peanuts in favor of the child.

Eating peanuts during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of peanut allergy to newborns. A study in the current issue of „Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology“ sees a direct relationship between the consumption of peanuts and a sensitization of newborns. Therefore, the experts advise women to abstain from eating peanuts during pregnancy.

Connection between peanut consumption and allergy risk
For some time, some scientists and physicians believe that peanut allergies occur during pregnancy. Already in 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) had urged mothers with a higher familial risk to abstain from eating peanuts during pregnancy. But in the professional world, the actual causal relationship was always controversial. For example, a 2006 Cochrane analysis in randomized clinical trials found no evidence for the allergy preventive effects of allergen prevention. In other words, the presumption of the direct relationship between peanut consumption and allergy risk could not be confirmed. Thus, the AAP 2008 has withdrawn its recommendation to refrain from peanuts for pregnant women. An observational study of the „Consortium of Food Allergy Research“, which examines the topic more closely, is currently still in progress.

Peanut allergy risk tripled - pregnant women should abstain
As part of the now im „Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology“ published study by Scott Sicherer was published on „Jaffe Food Allergy Institute“ In New York, 503 infants were examined. The physicians found that there could be a connection between the consumption of peanuts during pregnancy and a later peanut allergy. For example, the survey of expectant mothers revealed that eating peanuts almost tripled the risk of sensitization in infants who were later breastfed (odds ratio 2.9, 95 percent confidence interval 1.7-4.9) and The 71 children who were never breastfed even quintupled the risk of peanut allergy (odds ratio 4.99, 1.69-14.74). It should be noted, however, that the information provided by the peanut consumption by the pregnant women themselves, so that the exact amount of food can not be reproduced. Therefore, doubts remain in the suspected causal relationship, so that Scott Sicherer additionally calls for further randomized trials. Since the allergen avoidance (omission of allergenic substances) with peanuts, however, has little effect on the diet and no deficiency symptoms are expected due to the waiver, it is certainly not a mistake, if women do not take peanuts for the time being during pregnancy. (02.11.2010, fp)

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Picture credits: SI-MedienGestaltung - I. Scharfschwerdt, TRIER