There's something you can do to help your child avoid a peanut allergy, study says

Anyone with a child in school is used to the familiar restriction on any treats brought to class: No peanuts allowed!

But scientists may have a clue for parents hoping to avoid peanut allergies in their children. In a secondary analysis of an asthma study conducted in 1995, scientists looked at reported peanut consumption of breastfeeding mothers and their children.

Mothers who ate peanuts while breastfeeding and also introduced peanuts to their children before they were 1 year old had the best chance of avoiding peanut sensitivity, with only 1.7 percent of children in that group developing it. If a mother breastfed while eating peanuts but waited until the child was older to introduce peanuts, 15.1 percent of those children developed sensitivity. And sensitivity was almost as high when a mother did not eat peanuts but did feed them to her child before age 1.

“Maternal peanut consumption while breast-feeding paired with direct introduction of peanuts in the first year of life was associated with the lowest risk of peanut sensitization, compared with all other combinations of maternal and infant peanut consumption,” found the study, which was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Scientists tracked the peanut consumption of both mother and child and then skin prick tested the children for peanut sensitization at age 7.

Peanuts are one of the most common food allergens, and reactions can be life-threatening. Allergic reactions can send people into anaphylactic shock, symptoms of which include a rash or hives, swelling in the throat or other area of the body, trouble breathing and stomach cramping.

Epinephrine is used to counter anaphylaxis, but an allergic reaction can also include a trip to the hospital. Peanut allergy is the leading cause of death related to food-induced anaphylactic shock in the U.S.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recommended changing the U.S. guidelines for childhood peanut consumption, advising parents to feed children food containing pureed peanuts starting at six months if a doctor says it is safe.

According to Food Allergy Research and Education, peanut allergies in children more than tripled between 1997 and 2008. Studies have shown that children are most likely to outgrown a peanut allergy before age 6, with the likelihood that the allergy will disappear decreasing further after age 10.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 6:39 PM with the headline "There's something you can do to help your child avoid a peanut allergy, study says."