I have a theory that my daughter's peanut and egg allergies were caused by my increased consumption of peanut butter and eggs while on the WIC program and nursing my daughter. WIC provides pregnant and nursing mothers checks to receive these items for free as well as milk, cheese, cereal, carrots, beans, and tuna fish. This is all in the hope to ensure that unborn as well as newborn children receive the proper nutrition. Nursing mothers are encouraged to intake the appropriate levels of protein and WIC tries to help make sure that lower to middle income famlies are able to provide this for their children, however in doing so we beleive that they are neglecting to inform mothers of the possibility of increased risk of food allergies if nursing mothers eat more than average amounts of eggs, cheese, and most importantly peanuts(the allergy least likely to be outgrown). I nursed our daughter
until she was over two years old because I thought I was doing what was best for my child, and now I can't help but wonder if doing so is what gave my daughter these allergies. She is almost four now and has outgrown her egg, milk and cheese allergies, but is still allergic to peanuts.
I'd like to know if there are any other people who have made a connection between their child's peanut allergies and their consumption of peanuts while pregnant or nursing.
pseed,br /
I don't think you will ever find proof that eating large quantities of these foods actually *cause* the allergy. It is more likely that a person has a predisposition to be allergic to things--it is an immune system malfunction. Whatever food, be it peanuts, eggs, soy, etc., will probably set off the allergy. In Asian countries they have higher rates of allergies to soy and rice than we do in the U.S. This is because these items are staples in their diet, just like peanuts and eggs are here. So, I guess what I'm saying is, if it wasn't peanuts and eggs that were culprits it would just be another type food if the person has the predisposition to become allergic.br /
Christine/p
pTwo recent studies (one from the U.K., one from South Africa) have shown a causal relationship between breastfeeding and severe peanut allergies. One U.S. study disputes this claim. Until more studies are done, we won't know for sure.br /
What a mother eats is passed on to the fetus and nursing infant. Personally, I find it appalling that the March of Dimes, La Leche League, and the WIC program choose to ignore a ticking time bomb out there with more mothers breastfeeding and an increased incidence of life threatening peanut allergies. /p
pI'd suggest you go to the search function on this board and type in the word "breastfeeding." Much of this has been discussed in the following threads:/p
pDo mothers cause this allergy in their kids by eating peanuts while pregnant?/p
pAllergies and the Breastfeeding Families/p
pPEANUTS PREGNANCY: IN THE UK/p
pPregnacy and Peanuts/p
pBreastfeeding and Pregnant Moms - Beware/p
pNoreen/p
pNoreen,br /
I don't want to sound argumentative here--I just want to clear up what might be a misconception on my part. Does consuming peanuts or breastfeeding while consuming peanuts really *cause* the peanut allergy or is it just the catalyst in a person who is predisposed to allergies, thereby, *causing* the allergy? I didn't think any particular ingestion of any food created an allergy. The ability to have that reaction is there, within the individual, and when the individual ingests the particular foods it happens. I do believe that in these individuals, waiting until the age of 7 to eat suspect foods is appropriate, but I still don't know if the word *cause* is correct. I also agree that WIC and Le Leche should warn parents who have histories of families allergies against these foods, but will people really heed them. Prior to my children being diagnosed I don't think I would have considered my family to have a history, but after MUCH education I now know that we do. In my own case, I breastfed my daughter for 3 weeks (didn't really eat much peanut butter if at all) and she has no allergies. My son was breastfed for about 3 days (same thing, I ate little to no peanut butter) and he is allergic to peanuts and eggs. He also has allergies to animals, pollens, and he has eczema. He is just an allergic guy! I don't think I could have done anything to prevent it except to avoid directly giving him peanuts until he was older.br /
Christine/p
pHi Christine:/p
pAs I recall, the U.K. study proved that aborted fetuses in the second trimester were reacting to the peanut protein. The South Africa study focused more on the connection between breastfeeding and severe peanut allergies. The U.S. study took a handful of twins and tried to show that if one twin had a peanut allergy and the other didn't, then it had to be genetic./p
pWhat I have always argued here on the boards is that it doesn't matter whether breastfeeding or eating peanut butter during pregnancy *causes* the allergy or not. What does matter is that La Leche League, WIC, March of Dimes, etc. do not acknowlege studies which have proven that a pregnant/breastfeeding mother can further sensitize the fetus/infant by eating peanut products. The incidence of peanut anaphylaxsis is on the rise. People should be interested in finding out why and doing something about it./p
pAs for your personal history, you might be what is called an outlier. Hypothetically, let's assume some study comes along and proves once and for all that a breastfeeding mother who eats peanuts during lactation can increase the severity of their child's peanut allergy. Even if the majority of evidence proves this true, you will still have a few mothers with a horrid history of family allergies who ate peanuts by the truck load and their children are allergy-free. Also, you will have a few mothers with absolutely no history of family allergies who avoided peanut products like the plague and their child is severely allergic. In statistics, the exception does not prove the rule./p
pNoreen /p
p[This message has been edited by Noreen (edited August 19, 1999).]/p
pWhat I had heard was that if the MOM is PA, she passes her PA on to her child temporarily while BF. I am a PA mom who nurses my daughter right now. Breast milk contains immune system factors so: since I am PA, my immune system contains "antibodies" or something which cause this reaction to peanuts. When my daughter gets milk from me she temporarily gets my antibodies; therefore she is temporarily allergic to peanuts./p
pOn the other hand, if SHE is PA, and I am not, and I eat peanuts while breastfeeding, I'm not sure if that peanut protein gets passed through breastmilk from me to her. I don't think so./p
pHowever, there is some evidence that pregnant and lactating women who consume a lot of peanut products expose their fetus/baby to peanuts early which can result in the baby developing the allergy./p
pNoreen,br /
Thanks for your response! Regarding the question as to "why" peanut allergy is on the rise. Some time ago, when I first started studying food allergies, I read an article about food allergies in different regions of the world. What was striking about the article was that in Asia the amount of people allergic to rice was significantly higher than in the U.S. Heck, I don't even think of rice as being allergenic! Soy allergies were also higher. The article speculated that high rates of allergies were probably due to high rates of a particular food consumption. I think this is probably true regarding the peanut allergy. I am 35 years old. I don't remember even eating peanut butter until I was probably 8 years old. It was just never a staple in our house. I lived with my grandmother for the first seven years of my life and she used very little "convenience" type foods. She made home cooked meals all the time. When my mom remarried and we moved out it was "hello, peanut butter" and day care etc. There was my introduction to the world of convenience food which included large portions of peanut butter. Now, I'm not saying that I NEVER ate peanut butter until I was eight, but let's say it was definitely a rare meal. In today's society, this is not so. Peanut consumption, I'm sure if monitored, must be incredibly higher than it used to be. At my son's daycare, they are forcing it on kids at age 8 months old when they begin experimenting with table foods there. It is served in most daycare centers in some form at least once per day. So, I think that is probably why it is on the rise, not to mention the WIC program forcing it down kid's throats.br /
Christine/p
pHi Christine:/p
pI would say your theory may account for some of the increase but I wouldn't say it explains everything. Peanuts have been a hot item in the U.S. ever since the fifties but the rapid increase in the number of peanut anaphylactic children has been noted only over the past ten years. /p
pDid you read the Medline abstract about the South African study under the Research Board? This is the most recent study to date (Feb. 1999) on whether or not pregnant and lactating mothers' peanut consumption influences the development of peanut allergies in their offspring./p
pNoreen/p
pWIC's current program of providing peanut butter to children 1 year and older has been a concern of mine for sometime. /p
pI think there is more than enough information available to support the health concern that kids under three years of age should not eat peanut butter. The government food programs need to take a closer look at removing peanut butter from their programs for children under three./p
pThe question I ask myself is, "How healthy can something be that can sit open on a shelf for six months and not get rotten or spoil"? Must be some strong "preservatives"!/p
pSue in Sunny Arizona/p
p[This message has been edited by Sue (edited August 20, 1999).]/p
pSue,br /
I agree with you regarding ALL children not receiving peanut butter until the age of 3. I think, in the U.S., the American Academy of Pediatrics needs to take the initiative on this one. They already have their "one year" stance on eggs, a very highly allergenic food. I think they need to revisit the peanut butter issue and change the recommended guidelines. Most people listen to their pediatricians and follow those food guidelines pretty well. /p
pI also think it's funny that people think that peanut butter is so healthy! I guess it is healthy in that it is a source of protein, but it stops there. That stuff is full of sodium and sugar. I'm sure the natural peanut butter is much better, but no one wants to eat that stuff because it's not sweet enough. I always chuckle when people think they are feeding their kids well by giving them a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.br /
Christine/p
pNoreen, correlation does not mean causation. The study said there is "a positive correlation in the peanut-allergic subjects between age of introduction of peanuts and age at the onset of symptoms." This means that the earlier one eats peanuts, the earlier one will display symtoms./p
pThe study found that mothers who consumed peanuts more than once a week during pregnancy were more likely to have a peanut-allergic child than mothers who consumed peanuts less than once a week (odds ratio=3.97, 98% confidence interval). Assuming this is true, the odds go from approx 1% to 3.97%./p
pHow many mothers would avoid peanuts because of this and heed suggestions? Prior to my son being diagnosed I don't think I would have considered my family to have a history of allergies. I would have thought how could my hayfever have anything to do with food allergies. /p
pHere is a link to the abstract for the South African study./p
p [url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=10410914form=6db=mDopt=b"]www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=10410914form=6db=mDopt=b[/url] /p
pDoes consuming peanuts or breastfeeding while consuming peanuts really cause peanut allergy or is it just the catalyst in a person who is predisposed to allergies? That question cannot be answered with certainty./p
pHera are several quotes from a BMJ article titled "Women warned to avoid peanuts duringbr /
pregnancy and lactation" /p
p [url="http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/316/7149/1926/a"]www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/316/7149/1926/a[/url] /p
p"The increase in allergy generally may be explained by better hygiene. Fetuses used to respond to parasites present in the maternal blood. Now that these have been eliminated they are reacting to other things in the blood, such as antigens," said Professor Warner. /p
pThe report advises that children from families with a history of allergy should not eat peanut products until they are aged 3 years and reiterates previous advice not to give children under the age of 5 whole peanuts because of the risk of choking. /p
p"Whether avoiding the allergen makes a difference is an act of faith," commented Professor Warner. "On the balance of evidence and given that peanuts are not an essential part of anyone's diet it seems reasonable to recommend that during pregnancy and breast feeding, women with a family history of allergies do not have these products." /p
pThat said, I DO agree that parents who have history of family allergies should be warned. The current evidence doesn't provide clear and convincing causal evidence. However, I believe that the parents should be fully informed of possible risk factors./p
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