Researchers have found that pregnant women who eat large amounts of eggs and peanuts do not reduce the risk of their children developing allergies to these foods.
Although previous research has indicated that early exposure to allergens may help the immune system develop greater tolerance to them.
The study included 2,137 pregnant women in Australia whose children were at increased risk of developing allergies due to a family history of the condition. Researchers divided the participants into two groups, asking one group to increase their consumption of eggs and peanuts during pregnancy and for four months postpartum, while the other group continued their usual diet.
The women in the high-consumption group ate at least six eggs and 60 peanuts per week, compared to no more than three eggs and 30 peanuts in the other group.
The researchers based their findings on the idea that exposing a child to allergens early on may help them develop what is known as "immune tolerance," that is, the ability of the immune system to accept these foods without an allergic response.
This exposure may begin even before birth, as some food proteins reach the fetus through the amniotic fluid, and then the infant is exposed to these proteins again through breast milk.
However, the results of the experiment did not support this hypothesis. When the children reached their first year, the incidence of egg or peanut allergies was 7.8% among the children of mothers who consumed larger quantities of these foods, compared to 8.4% among the children in the group that followed the usual diet
The rate of egg allergy was 6.2% in the high-consumption group, compared to 7.2% in the other group, while the rate of peanut allergy was identical in both groups at 2.6%. No significant differences were also observed in the rates of eczema.
The findings suggest that increased maternal consumption of eggs and peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding does not provide clear protection for the child against allergies to these foods. However, researchers continue to investigate the timing of introducing allergenic foods into an infant's diet, particularly given evidence suggesting that early exposure after the start of solid foods may help build immune tolerance.
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