Preventing Food Allergies
Laura is one of our patients and is planning her first pregnancy. She has allergies and mild eczema, and her husband has food
allergies. They came to see me and asked what advice I had to decrease the chances that their baby will have allergies.
First of all, there is no good evidence that avoiding specific foods during pregnancy will prevent the baby from developing
allergies, except maybe in the case of peanuts. The literature is inconclusive, but we now recommend our pregnant patients with
allergies to avoid eating peanut products while they’re pregnant. But what about a food that has no peanuts but whose label says
“this product may contain peanuts.” With the new food allergy rules passed recently by Congress, some manufacturers put that
label on everything they make; probably on the advice of their legal department. Anyway, that would be a trace amount, so it
would be OK for Laura to eat that food.
After delivery, the most important intervention is exclusive breastfeeding for the first four to six months of life. While breastfeeding,
Laura has been advised not to eat peanuts or tree nuts (e.g. walnuts, pecans, cashews). Some advise eliminating eggs, milk, fish,
and shellfish, but the evidence for avoiding those is sketchy. When foods are introduced to the infant, dairy products should be
delayed until 12 months; eggs until 2; and peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish until 3.
Breastfeeding while eating a restricted diet doesn’t always prevent food allergies in the infant, but it probably does decrease the
chance of the baby developing eczema. Some research has shown that young children with A.D. develop allergic rhinitis and,
subsequently, asthma much more frequently than young children without childhood A.D. This phenomenon is called the Atopic
March. Laura and her family are hoping that following these recommendations prevent the misery of allergies in their children.
Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board certified allergist to
address
individual medical needs.
David B. Engler, M.D.
The Allergy Clinic
7707 Fannin, Houston, TX 77054
713.797.0993
No one nose allergies like we do.™
Laura is one of our patients and is planning her first pregnancy. She has allergies and mild eczema, and her husband has food
allergies. They came to see me and asked what advice I had to decrease the chances that their baby will have allergies.
First of all, there is no good evidence that avoiding specific foods during pregnancy will prevent the baby from developing
allergies, except maybe in the case of peanuts. The literature is inconclusive, but we now recommend our pregnant patients with
allergies to avoid eating peanut products while they’re pregnant. But what about a food that has no peanuts but whose label says
“this product may contain peanuts.” With the new food allergy rules passed recently by Congress, some manufacturers put that
label on everything they make; probably on the advice of their legal department. Anyway, that would be a trace amount, so it
would be OK for Laura to eat that food.
After delivery, the most important intervention is exclusive breastfeeding for the first four to six months of life. While breastfeeding,
Laura has been advised not to eat peanuts or tree nuts (e.g. walnuts, pecans, cashews). Some advise eliminating eggs, milk, fish,
and shellfish, but the evidence for avoiding those is sketchy. When foods are introduced to the infant, dairy products should be
delayed until 12 months; eggs until 2; and peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish until 3.
Breastfeeding while eating a restricted diet doesn’t always prevent food allergies in the infant, but it probably does decrease the
chance of the baby developing eczema. Some research has shown that young children with A.D. develop allergic rhinitis and,
subsequently, asthma much more frequently than young children without childhood A.D. This phenomenon is called the Atopic
March. Laura and her family are hoping that following these recommendations prevent the misery of allergies in their children.
Note: Information contained in this article should not be considered a substitute for consultation with a board certified allergist to
address
individual medical needs.
David B. Engler, M.D.
The Allergy Clinic
7707 Fannin, Houston, TX 77054
713.797.0993
No one nose allergies like we do.™
The Allergy Clinic
Specialists in Allergy & Asthma Care
Specialists in Allergy & Asthma Care
