Scientists in the UK are warning that the incidence of peanut allergies is increasing, and that it might be caused by early exposure to peanuts or peanut oil for children with eczema. By linking the fact that 90% of children with peanut allergies had previously experienced eczema, researchers have speculated that exposing peanuts to broken skin may actually spark off the allergy.
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The link has not yet been confirmed, but if it is, it will contradict the advice given by the Department of Health to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to avoid eating peanuts. Dr Gideon Lack, of St Mary’s Hospital, London, conducted the latest research. He commented: “In eczema, the skin barrier breaks down and there is an abundance of immune cells in the skin that could be exposed to substances that cause allergies.
“We are currently looking into whether exposure of the skin to products containing peanuts or peanut oils may be responsible for starting peanut allergies.”
Lack’s findings are due to be discussed at a conference on child health today, organised to mark a 10-year-long research study of around 12,000 children and their parents in Bristol. The study, called Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) has concentrated on establishing the genetic and environmental causes of certain conditions, including food allergies, depression, asthma and cerebral palsy.
Increase in allergies
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By GlobalDataPeanut allergies are serious conditions, with the potential to cause anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. Previous estimates had put the number of children with peanut allergies at around one in every 200, however now the recent study has suggested that it could be up to one in every 100 children.
The director of the Anaphylaxis Campaign, David Reading, commented that this latest news proved the point that schools should have a policy for dealing with anaphylactic shock.
