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Pregnant women are being told to give up peanuts unnecessarily, researchers reported today.
New research suggests there is little evidence that a woman eating peanuts will lead to her baby developing allergy.
Researchers found that most children who were allergic to peanuts had mothers who had avoided the food during pregnancy.
They said government advice on peanuts had caused confusion as it led to virtually all women giving them up.
In fact the advice, issued in 1998, should only be given to those with a family history of allergy, they say.
Researchers at Portsmouth University studied 858 pregnant women and 660 of their children.
Skin prick tests found that 13 of the children were sensitive to peanuts - and that almost all their mothers (77 per cent) had avoided peanuts during pregnancy.
Their findings are published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
Researchers Dr Dr Tara Dean and Dr Carina Venter write: "Not surprisingly, most mothers who heard the advice had heard of it through their midwives.
"At the first booking appointment (during the first trimester), midwives highlight certain dietary precautions to safeguard the baby
Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics
Volume 20 Issue 2 Page 95 - April 2007
To cite this article: T. Dean, C. Venter, B. Pereira, J. Grundy, C. B. Clayton, B. Higgins (2007)
Government advice on peanut avoidance during pregnancy - is it followed correctly and what is the impact on sensitization?
Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 20 (2), 95