Hi greenlady,
The rise in peanut allergies is not *directly* related to the number
of women who choose to breastfeed, but whether or not the
breastfeeding women consume peanuts while pregnant and/or
breastfeeding. There have been studies proving an association to
breastfeeding and maternal consumption of peanuts or peanut products.
According to this CNN site, April 4, 2001, nursing mothers with a
history of asthma and/or eczema may be passing peanut proteins to
their infants. Exposure to peanut allergens at such an early age may
predispose the infants to a peanut allergy.
?Researchers said babies with one or both parents with a history of
asthma, eczema or other allergy-based diseases are at risk of peanut
allergy.
Because those children can be identified at birth, nursing mothers
could avoiding exposing them to the allergen by not consuming peanut
products while nursing, said David Patterson, an Indiana physician who
is a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and
Immunology.?
http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/diet.fitness/04/04/food.allergies/
According to The March of Dimes, exposure to maternal consumption of
peanuts may predispose a fetus to peanut allergy. This is probably
more likely to happen to families with other allergies, such as
asthma, eczema and other hypersensitivities.
?Although there is not yet an extensive amount of research on fetal
sensitization, there have been suggestions that a fetus may be exposed
to peanut allergens if a woman consumes peanut products while
pregnant, so that an infant with predisposition to allergy may develop
a peanut allergy.?
http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/681_1819.asp
From WebMD, ?According to Peter Vadas, MD, the conventional advice has
been to avoid giving kids foods containing peanuts until after age 3
if parents or other family members have a history of asthma,
allergies, or eczema.
"Now we have to modify that a little bit," says Vadas, of St.
Michael's Hospital in Toronto. "Now we also must warn these mothers to
do their best to try not to eat peanut products while nursing so as to
avoid indirectly exposing their children." His study appears in the
April 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. ?
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/31/1728_76325?src=Inktomi&condition=Home_&_Top_Stories
Per The Professional Association for Dieticians for Great Britain and
Northern Ireland ?The prevalence of peanut allergy is currently
unknown, but there has been a recent increase in the number of
reported cases. The consumption of peanuts in the USA has increased
steadily since before the turn of the century and half the crop is
consumed as peanut butter (1). The incidence of sensitisation to
peanuts in 4 year old children on the Isle of Wight is 1.3% (2) and
studies in the USA suggest that three million Americans are allergic
to peanuts.?
According to The Professional Association for Dieticians for Great
Britain and Northern Ireland, an increase in peanut allergies could be
related to the fact that pregnant women are consuming more peanut
products. Many baked goods use peanut products, and women may not even
be aware they are eating peanut protein. Peanut oil has been used in
some infant formulas as well as some Vitamin D supplements.
Additionally, peanut contamination can occur in foods when the same
oil is used to cook peanut-containing foods before other foods.
Interestingly, this site states that refined peanut oil rarely
contains even a trace of peanut protein, while unrefined peanut oil
has large amounts, and some vegetable oils may contain blends of
peanut oil. Some restaurants, particularly ethnic restaurants use
unrefined peanut oil for cooking.
Cakes, biscuits, pastries, and vegetarian food products are a few of
seemingly peanut free foods that may contain peanut powder or oil.
http://www.bda.uk.com/Downloads/peanutallergy.pdf
Today?s Parent states that nursing mothers don?t need to worry about
eating peanuts, unless there are familial allergies, in which case,
they recommend not eating peanuts, or peanut products.
http://www.todaysparent.com/pregnancybirth/breastfeeding/article.jsp?content=858809
From a personal website of John Weisnagel, M.D
?Allergy to peanuts represents 28% of food allergies and occurs under
1 year of age in 46% of cases, under 15 years of age in 93%
Ewan reported on 62 cases of peanut and/or nut allergy evaluated in a
one year period. Peanuts accounted for nearly half of the allergies,
with 55% of the allergies presenting by age 2 years and 92% by age 7
years
Peanut and/or tree nut allergy affects approximately 1.1% of the
general population, or about 3 million Americans, representing a
significant health concern. Despite the severity of reactions, about
half of the subjects never sought an evaluation by a physician, and
only a few had epinephrine available for emergency use?
http://www.allerg.qc.ca/peanutallergy.htm#prev
Breastfeeding.com has a good explanation here on allergies and
breastfeeding, and how breast milk contains antibodies that protect an
infant against allergies.
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_allergies.html
Dr. Greene offers a study on peanut allergy desensitization here:
http://www.drgreene.com/21_18.html
Additional information:
Medsafe
http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/Profs/PUarticles/peanut.htm
This Allergies.com site has multiple links to articles on peanut allergy.
http://allergies.about.com/cs/peanuts/
Organ donors may well be screened for nut/peanut allergy. This
About.com article explains that a 60 year old man suffered a cashew
allergy after having a liver transplant. He had no nut allergies prior
to transplant!
http://allergies.about.com/library/weekly/aa013103a.htm
If any part of my answer is unclear, or if I have duplicated any
information you already had, please request an Answer Clarification,
before rating. This will allow me to assist you further, if possible.
Regards,
crabcakes
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