There are many common misconceptions related to food allergies and pregnancy. We’re here to help empower parents (and expecting parents) with the facts so that you can safely navigate this important milestone for your family and effectively prevent a food allergy.
Myth #1: Avoiding peanuts and other allergenic foods while pregnant can help prevent food allergies for your baby
Fact: According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Guidelines for Diagnosing a Food Allergy, expecting mothers should not restrict their diets in order to prevent a food allergy. There is new evidence from the landmark LEAP study to show that, in infants with severe eczema and/or egg allergy, avoiding or delaying introducing peanuts was linked to an increased risk of peanut allergy.
This myth comes from outdated recommendations causing confusion. In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics advised allergy-prone moms to avoid peanuts and tree nuts during pregnancy to help prevent their babies from developing food allergies. Now we have more information and based on current recommendations, expecting mothers should not restrict their diet to prevent a food allergy for their baby.
Myth #2: Eating peanuts and other allergenic foods while breastfeeding can help prevent food allergies for your baby
Fact: In the 2019 Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), there was insufficient evidence to show that eating allergenic foods while breastfeeding might be able to prevent your child from having food allergies.
“No conclusions can be made about the role of breastfeeding in either preventing or delaying the onset of specific food allergies.” – American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), March 2019.
Myth #3: My baby isn’t at risk for food allergies if they don’t have a family history
Fact: Over 50% of children with food allergies do not have any family history or a direct family member with a food allergy. Also, babies aren’t born with food allergies — they develop them over time. So in fact, all babies are at risk of developing a food allergy.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Content provided by Ready, Set, Food!. Ready, Set, Food! is a complete guided system that gently introduces your baby to the top 9 most common childhood food allergens, including peanut, egg, and milk.
