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Home › Articles › Issues for Mom › Peanut Allergies and Breastfeeding

Peanut Allergies and Breastfeeding

The Facts of Nut Allergies and Nursing

By Debora Geary

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In other words, he's not convinced that avoiding peanuts while breastfeeding will reduce the chances of your baby having a peanut allergy.

In other countries, governments and the medical establishment have taken a stronger stance. While the evidence is not conclusive that breast milk containing peanut proteins can lead to allergies, several countries have clear recommendations in place for breastfeeding women. For example, the governments of both Britain and New Zealand recommend that women with a family history of allergy (asthma, hay fever, eczema) avoid peanuts while both pregnant and breastfeeding.

What Moms Have to Say
Tritia Sam of Farmington, Ark., has three boys. The oldest has peanut allergy. "From the time he was conceived, all the way through pregnancy and nursing, I got in the habit of eating a late night snack of toast with peanut butter and jelly," she says. "That was what I'd eat to take my vitamin before bed. Never missed a night. And, often I would eat it other times of the day for the protein."

From the time Sam's son was born, he had what she was told was very bad eczema. Much to her surprise, she says, "The week after I weaned him, the spots, the ooze, the pus – all of it – was gone." She didn't think about it until he had his first peanut butter cookie and broke out from head to toe. Her youngest two sons, also fed on her steady prenatal and nursing diet of peanut butter and jelly on toast, seem fine.

Darlene Johnson of North Augusta, S.C., has a similar story. "My son is 16 months old," she says. "We found out that he had a peanut allergy about six months ago. I gave him his first peanut butter sandwich, and he broke out in hives on his face where the peanut butter touched him."


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Re: Peanut Allergies and Breastfeeding by hermommy on 02/09/2010 11:38PM

I had the same stories with my daughter, who has been diagnosed with a peanut allergy. She had eczema, terrible reflux and was very gassy as a baby. I often used peanut as a source of protein during nursing and pregnancy (as opposed to enjoying it as a snack). I feel doctors need to help steer mothers to find healthy foods that will benefit mom and baby, even if it is simply sharing research that supports both sides of the argument and leaving the decision up to the mother. We have a strong history of allergies on both sides of our families and I would have made different food choices if I was educated about the possibility of my daughter having a possible peanut allergy. If I only knew...glad to know I'm not alone. Education is key.

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