Should You Eat Peanuts During Pregnancy?

Filed in archive Food Allergies , Living with Allergies on January 18, 2007

I've heard this before, but I didn't know whether to believe it: that eating peanuts during pregnancy contributes to the risk of the child having peanut or other food allergies. I can't remember having eaten an unusual amount of peanuts during my pregnancy, nor have I consciously avoided it. And yet, I gave birth to a son who later on showed a number of food allergies, milk, egg and peanuts being on top of the list.

Still, I found this article quoting Charlotte Davies, a spokesperson for Tommy's, a charity dedicated to maximising women's health during pregnancy.

"If you or your partner have allergies such as eczema, asthma or hay fever then you should avoid peanuts," she said.

"It is hoped that this will reduce chances of you or your baby suffering from a nut allergy. It is thought that one reason why nut allergies are so common in toddlers and youngsters now is because people weren't necessarily doing that before.

"There is not as much evidence to support that but there is evidence of some link. The current guidelines are to avoid peanuts if possible," she concluded.

I have a friend who skipped peanuts 100% during her pregnancy. Nevertheless, the child still had food allergies, including allergy to peanuts. That shows that although it may (or may not) be true that skipping peanuts can reduce the risks, there are no guarantees.