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Peanut consumption during pregnancy may be linked to peanut allergy in infants
Sicherer SH. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010;doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2010.08.036.
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Women who eat peanuts while pregnant may have children who are allergic to peanuts, according to new study data.
The results of an observational study indicate that ingestion during pregnancy was associated with peanut sensitization and likely peanut allergy in infants. Researchers evaluated 503 infants aged 3 to 15 months with likely milk or egg allergy but no previous peanut allergy diagnosis. There were 308 children who had experienced an immediate reaction to cow’s milk and/or egg and 204 who had moderate to severe atopic dermatitis and tested positive for allergy to milk and/or egg.
Overall, 27.8% of infants had peanut serum food-specific immunoglobulin E levels of at least 5 kU/L, which was considered likely indicative of peanut allergy.
In multivariate analysis, the primary factors associated with peanut IgE levels of at least 5 kU/L were frequent peanut consumption during pregnancy (OR=2.93; 95% CI, 1.76-4.88), IgE levels to milk (OR=1.55; 95% CI, 1.19-2.01) and egg (OR=3.87; 95% CI, 2.59-5.78), male sex (OR=1.92; 95% CI, 1.09-3.37) and nonwhite race (P=.019).
The frequency of peanut consumption during breast-feeding and during the third trimester demonstrated a dose-dependent association with peanut IgE of at least 5 kU/L, which was only significant for consumption during pregnancy (P=.001).
In an analysis of 71 infants who were never breast-fed, frequent peanut consumption during pregnancy was associated with peanut IgE of at least 5 kU/L (OR=4.99; 95% CI, 1.69-14.74).
“Researchers in recent years have been uncertain about the role of peanut consumption during pregnancy on the risk for peanut allergy in infants,” Scott H. Sicherer, MD, a professor of pediatrics at Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York City, said in a press release.
“While our study does not definitively indicate that pregnant woman should not eat peanut products during pregnancy, it highlights the need for further research in order to make recommendations about dietary restrictions,” Sicherer said.
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