Eating peanuts during pregnancy? Is it recommended and how does it affect the baby?

A large-scale study published in the NEJM examined whether increased consumption of eggs and peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding reduces allergies in at-risk infants. The findings: no significant reduction in allergies was found, but also no increase in risk. The message for women: there is no need for increased consumption as a preventive measure, but also no need to avoid them.

A large-scale randomized study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, examined the effect of increased maternal consumption of eggs and peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the risk of allergies in infants. The study involved 2,137 women from four districts in Australia, all pregnant or breastfeeding, whose infants each had at least two family members with a history of allergic disease. The women were divided into two groups: one consumed at least six eggs and 60 peanuts per week, and the other was limited to up to three eggs and 30 peanuts per week. The diet began before the 23rd week of pregnancy and continued until four months after birth. The infants were monitored until one year of age. At the end of the follow-up, no significant difference was found between the groups in the rate of infants who developed an allergy to eggs or peanuts. The study emphasizes that there is no evidence that high consumption will prevent allergies, but there is also no need to avoid eggs and peanuts in the mother's diet. Guidelines for allergy prevention continue to support introducing well-cooked egg and peanuts in a safe texture to the infant around the start of complementary feeding, at about six months of age.