Moms of Children with Food Allergies

Scientists do not know what causes food allergies.

They don't know if eating peanuts while pregnant will possibly cause a peanut allergy but because peanut allergies are so serious they are opting to try the mother not eating peanuts. I've not heard of a recommendation to alter one's diet to prevent food allergies.

My daughter's first baby had/has lots of allergies. Her second and third do not. There are no allergies in the family. She ate the same for all three. BTW many children outgrow milk protein allergies.

I don't have any food allergies nor does my husband. However, I have a sibling that has shellfish allergies. I do have pretty bad outdoor and cat allergies.

I stayed away from shellfish while pregnant but not for that reason. But I didn't stay away from nuts, although there are only a few types of nuts that I really like anyway and I don't really eat a lot of nuts.

I have fraternal twins so both were exposed to the same food that I ate while pregnant (and breastfeeding). One does not have food allergies and the other is allergic to shellfish, peanuts, and a few tree nuts. The one that is allergic also had really bad eczema as an infant.

So, in my experience, it didn't matter. I didn't eat shellfish and one is allergic to it anyway. I ate nuts and one is allergic and the other isn't. I couldn't tell you if eating nuts made the allergic one show symptoms sooner or not. But I definitely believe he had to have some genetic component that predisposed him to be allergic in the first place. Otherwise, eating nuts would have caused the other one to be allergic too. (Standard disclaimer applies....your mileage may vary....I am not a doctor.)

If you are concerned, you should ask your doctor. Or do what makes you feel the most comfortable.

Keep in mind that completely avoiding certain foods, like nuts, can take some effort due to possible cross contamination. There are many foods that are manufactured in a facility that processes nuts, for example, and may contain nuts. I've seen a bag of dried blueberries say that it may contain nuts. I've even seen a bag of fresh spinach say that it may contain shellfish.

My 1st also had dairy allergies. I was not told to change my diet at all while pregnant the 2nd time. Never hurts to ask your OB the question at your next appointment, but I wouldn't worry about it in the meantime.

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/foodallergybasics/a/Pre...

the flip side
http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/sto...

I was not told to change my diet when I was pregnant it was only while nursing that it had to change for me.

I loved peanuts while I was pregnant!
They are a great source of protein and they really helped out as a quick snack if I needed something in a hurry.
We have no allergies and our son loves peanut butter.
I stayed away from raw oysters (and clams), sushi, rare meat and alcohol when I was pregnant.

My first is allergic to dairy, eggs, and nuts. When I was pregnant with my second, I asked if I should avoid those or any other key allergens. Both my OB and my son's allergist said they honestly don't know what causes the allergies and couldn't say for sure either way that eating or avoiding the foods would make any difference at all. I chose to avoid nuts (though I slipped a couple of times with Reese's) and ate dairy and eggs as usual.

My daughter was born with no allergies at all. She can eat anything she wants. So, I kept virtually the same diet through both pregnancies (minus nuts the second time) and had drastically different results. I also nursed both babies and didn't alter my diet while nursing either. We didn't find out about my son's allergies until he was 9 months old and, even then, no one suggested cutting the allergens out of my own diet.

i only thought peanuts mattered during pregnancy. My daughter is allergic to strawberries