X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Breastfeeding and Childhood Allergies: What's the Link?

2 min read

Mums, we all know about the marvellous benefits of breastmilk.

Some of these include breastmilk's incredible protective abilities via the antibodies it contains, and the wonderful bonding it promotes between mum and bub. 

Did you also know that there is a link between breastfeeding and childhood allergies? A study suggests that if pregnant mums consume commonly-allergenic foods like peanuts, it can protect their babies against related food allergies.

One mummy had a hunch this might be true. 

Suzanne is a stay-at-home mum to her gorgeous two-year-old daughter, Michelle. During her pregnancy, she avoided allergenic foods like peanuts and eggs, even though she was not allergic to them.  However, she recently noticed that her little one got irritable every time she put a peanut in her mouth, suggesting sensitivity to peanuts.

There’s no certainty that her daughter developed an allergy to peanuts because Suzanne avoided it during pregnancy. However, after reading about the results of this experiment, she feels that perhaps breastfeeding and childhood allergies are strongly connected when it comes to food tolerance.

The study: The link between breastfeeding and childhood allergies

A study suggests that new mums could keep food allergies away from their babies if they consume peanuts when nursing.

Researchers in Canada found that children who were exposed to nuts before the age of one year, either through breast milk or otherwise were five times less likely to have related food allergies.

Breastfeeding and Childhood Allergies: Whats the Link?

An expert’s opinion:

Dr Tracy Pitt is the lead author of the Humber River Hospital in Ontario.

She says: “We found that introduction of peanut before 12 months of age was associated with a reduced risk of peanut sensitization by school age, particularly among children whose mothers consumed peanuts while breastfeeding.

Both passive peanut exposure through breast milk and peanut introduction in the first year of life may decrease peanut sensitization at age seven."

She further explains that early peanut consumption during infancy helps in reducing the risk of related food allergies later in childhood. Dr Pitt also confirms that the risk of peanut allergies can be further reduced if lactating mums consume peanuts.

The recent study followed up 342 children from birth till they turned seven-years-old. Children who were introduced to peanuts through breast milk as well as fed with them before the age of 12 months showed less risk of allergies.

Breastfeeding and the early introduction of nuts was beneficial for youngsters based on this new study.

Source: The Telegraph

Partner Stories
6 Top Ways to Prevent Diaper Rash
6 Top Ways to Prevent Diaper Rash
UHT vs Fresh Milk for Toddler: 5 Things You Should Know About Milk for Your Child
UHT vs Fresh Milk for Toddler: 5 Things You Should Know About Milk for Your Child
MFGM: Role In Strengthening Your Child Immune System. Here’s How!
MFGM: Role In Strengthening Your Child Immune System. Here’s How!
MFGM and Milk : The Link between Nutrition and Brain Development
MFGM and Milk : The Link between Nutrition and Brain Development

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Prutha Soman

  • Home
  • /
  • Allergies & Conditions
  • /
  • Breastfeeding and Childhood Allergies: What's the Link?
Share:
  • Quick Facts About Childhood Allergies in Singapore

    Quick Facts About Childhood Allergies in Singapore

  • Study: Siblings Of Kids With Food Allergies Not More Likely To Have Allergies

    Study: Siblings Of Kids With Food Allergies Not More Likely To Have Allergies

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • Quick Facts About Childhood Allergies in Singapore

    Quick Facts About Childhood Allergies in Singapore

  • Study: Siblings Of Kids With Food Allergies Not More Likely To Have Allergies

    Study: Siblings Of Kids With Food Allergies Not More Likely To Have Allergies

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and updates on baby care and health.