Eating Peanuts Prohibited During Pregnancy

"No Peanuts" was being confused as universal guidance during pregnancy, and further, maternal peanut avoidance during pregnancy did not appear to be associated with subsequent peanut sensitization in infants.

23/03/07 For nearly 10 years, women in the UK with a family history of atopy (asthma, eczema or hay fever), have been advised to avoid eating peanuts during pregnancy and breast-feeding. New research led by Dr Tara Dean and carried out at The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre on the Isle of Wight (UK) suggests, however, that there is much confusion about peanut-eating: is it mothers-to-be who misunderstand, or health professionals who do not correctly target and explain the messages?

In 1998 the Department of Health issued advice that "pregnant or breast-feeding women who are themselves atopic, or where another first-degree relative of the child is atopic, may wish to avoid eating peanuts and peanut products during pregnancy and lactation". To assess compliance with, and the effects of this recommendation, researchers questioned nearly 840 pregnant women about their diets, and 2 years later, nearly 660 children had skin prick tests to detect peanut sensitization.

"We were surprised to find that 65 per cent of mothers had avoided peanuts during pregnancy" said Carina Venter (allergy specialist dietitian and senior research fellow at the University of Portsmouth) who worked on project. Perhaps even more surprising, was that there was no difference between women with atopy (to whom the advice applied) and women without (to whom it did not). "Peanut avoidance appears to be perceived as a general dietary recommendation during pregnancy. First-time mothers were most receptive to the message, and were almost twice as likely as 'repeat' mothers to change their diets," said Carina.

When the children were 2 years of age, 13 children out of the nearly 660 children tested were found to be sensitized to peanuts (2 per cent of the sample). Eleven of the 13 sensitized children had a family history of atopy. Of the 13 sensitised children, 10 mothers stated that they had avoided peanuts during pregnancy. The advice on peanuts should be reviewed, conclude the researchers of this study. "No Peanuts" was being confused as universal guidance during pregnancy, and further, maternal peanut avoidance during pregnancy did not appear to be associated with subsequent peanut sensitization in infants.