Pregnant and lactating women hear all sorts of warnings on how their diets affect the risk of their babies developing food allergies. A lot depends on the family's history of allergies.
Infants are considered to be at high risk of developing allergic problems if they have a strong family history of allergies. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) defines strong family history as either both parents or a parent and a sibling with allergies. These children have a 40%-60% chance of developing allergic disorders.
"Women with a history of atopic disorders (allergies, asthma, eczema) should avoid peanuts during pregnancy and lactation to reduce the risks of food allergies in their babies," said Sujatha Ramesh, M.D., a pediatric allergy and asthma specialist with Children's Hospital, Buffalo, NY.
The AAP's official position is that peanuts are the only food pregnant and lactating women concerned about food allergies need to avoid. Studies have shown that peanut avoidance does reduce the chances that at-risk infants will develop atopic disorders.
It's difficult to make scientifically sound recommendations on avoiding foods other than peanuts. Studies have shown mixed results and doing good studies is difficult. The AAP suggests parents and doctors consider eliminating eggs, cow's milk, and fish from the diet of pregnant and lactating women. This recommendation is based on expert consensus and not on well designed studies.
Dr. Ramesh concludes, "Overall, I think the evidence suggests that maternal dietary restriction does not have any impact on the development of food allergies in infants."
Family Practice News, 11/15/03
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