Thank goodness I ate so much peanut butter while I was pregnant.
That was my first reaction to new research, published today in JAMA Pediatrics, that found an association between higher nut consumption during pregnancy and lower rates of nut allergies in the baby. The researchers, at the Dana-Farber Children’s Cancer Center, Boston, asked women to record information about their diets during or soon after pregnancy, and came back later to find out whether their babies developed nut allergies. Among moms who were not themselves allergic to nuts, regular consumption of peanuts and tree nuts (almonds, walnuts and so on) was linked to reduced nut allergies in the babies. Women with the highest nut consumption, who ate nuts five times or more per week, had babies with the lowest allergy risk.
The finding helps clarify a debate about whether expectant women can do anything to reduce the risk of allergies in their babies. Previously, some experts have suggested that perhaps pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid nuts to lower allergy risk. But the new findings contradict that recommendation. From a JAMA press release on an editorial about the new research:
...pregnant women should not eliminate nuts from their diet as peanuts are a good source of protein and also provide folic acid, which could potentially prevent both neural tube defects and nut sensitization. So, to provide guidance in how to respond to the age-old question “To eat or not to eat?” mothers-to-be should feel free to curb their cravings with a dollop of peanut butter!
Previously: Food allergies and school: One mom's perspective, Ask Stanford Med: Pediatric immunologist answers your questions about food allergy research and A mom's perspective on a food-allergy trial
Photo by Matias-Garabedian
