Researchers from Prince Alfred Hospital Camperdown, Australia believe that women with food allergies may be able to prevent their unborn children from developing them as well by avoiding exposure to foods that cause them to react- both from their diet and envoirnment.

“Seven out of 10 babies born to mothers who took avoidance measures had no food allergies vs. 45% of babies whose moms did not follow the doctors’ advice, says pediatrician and study leader Velencia Soutter, MD.”

Soutter’s team presented their study results at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

274 mothers of children with peanut, milk, or egg allergies were monitored over a period of almost 4 years- beginning in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Mothers were given advice on avoiding allergens and encouraged to breastfeed, however researchers say only about 2/3^rd of women participating in the study followed researchers recommendations.

Children were evaluated at 1 ½ and 3 years of age for symptoms and given prick tests to determine their level susceptibility to similar allergens as family members.

Results from the study showed that 55% of babies born to mothers who neglected to take avoidance measures developed 1 or more food allergy, compared to just 33% of babies in mothers that followed doctors recommendations.

For more information on this study, click here.