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DCL
Peanut allergies are nothing short of frightening. In fact, some schools have gone to great lengths to avoid the dangers of food contamination like separating kids at lunch, as well as rinsing hands and faces. It's an allergy that can easily send a child to the emergency room and in some instances has brought untimely death.
But a new study published in Food Research International and reported on Food Navigator may have some important news for pregnant moms. The study found that eating peanuts during pregnancy may help reduce instances of the allergy in babies.
According to Food Navigator:
The research team, from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, USA, found that maternal intake of peanuts in mice can bring about protection against sensitization to peanuts in the offspring.
Further, breast feeding can help matters. Again, Food Navigator:
[M]aternal transmission of these peanut-specific antibodies through breast milk "may be, at least in part, responsible for this protection."
"Ultimately, such approach could potentially alter the trend of increasing prevalence of peanut allergy in childhood," said researcher López-Expósito and colleagues.
This is in line with what I wrote over at TreeHugger about how your diet during pregnancy can impact your child's diet, and in turn, health.
According to a study conducted at University of Colorado School of Medicine, diet is crucial to the health of your baby:
This highlights the importance of eating a healthy diet and refraining from drinking alcohol during pregnancy and nursing. If the mother drinks alcohol, her child may be more attracted to alcohol because the developing fetus 'expects' that whatever comes from the mother must be safe. If she eats healthy food, the child will prefer healthy food.
More proof that your diet during pregnancy truly impacts your little one. This is motivation not to eat anything that you wouldn't want your baby to eat as well.
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