Association between peripregnancy consumption and childhood allergy of peanuts or tree nuts

• Background:
  A prospective cohort study to examine the association between peripregnancy consumption of peanut or tree nut (P/TN) by mothers and the risk of P/TN allergy in their offspring.
   
• Study Design:
  • Participants of the Nurses’ Health Study II who previously reported their diet during, or shortly before or after their pregnancy.
  • Their offspring who reported physician-diagnosed food allergy between the ages of 10 and 14 years were confirmed by medical records and allergy test results.
     
• Key Findings:
  • Among 8,205 children, 308 cases of food allergy (any food), including 140 cases of P/TN allergy were identified.
  • There was a significant maternal interaction between peripregnancy P/TN consumption and P/TN allergy status (P_interaction = 0.004).
  • Among 8,059 nonallergic mothers, higher peripregnancy consumption of P/TN significantly lower the risk of P/TN allergy in their offspring (≥ 5 times per week vs. 1 time per month: odd ratio = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.13-0.75; P_trend = 0.004), but this association was not observed in 160 P/TN-allergic mothers (P_trend = 0.12).
     
• Conclusion:
  There was an inverse association between peripregnancy P/TN consumption by mothers and the risk of P/TN allergy in their offspring, which may support the hypothesis that early allergen exposure could increase tolerance and lower the risk of childhood food allergy.

Additional reading:
Interview with Professor Ting Fan Leung – Current Approach in the Management of Paediatric Food Allergies

WYE-EM-008-JAN-14

Reference

Frazier AL, Camargo CA Jr, Malspeis S, Willett WC, Young MC. Prospective Study of Peripregnancy Consumption of Peanuts or Tree Nuts by Mothers and the Risk of Peanut or Tree Nut Allergy in Their Offspring. JAMA Pediatr. 2013 Dec 23. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.4139. [Epub ahead of print]. Link to PubMed