Can allergies be prevented? A question that triggers much
debate, to be sure. In recent years, well-meaning parents have
delayed the introduction of common allergens, like eggs and
nuts, sometimes beyond the first year of life, and women have
nixed peanut butter during pregnancy, all in the hopes of
reducing the risk of their children developing allergies, asthma
and eczema. But recent guidelines, published by the American
Academy of Pediatrics and the European Society of Pediatric
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition deemed these
practices ineffective at preventing allergies. Since then, even
newer evidence has suggested that the now-three year-old
guidelines themselves might need some revising. So how does
maternal and early childhood diet influence allergy risk in
children? While there is still much to learn, here is what we
know — for now. PREVENTING ALLERGIES: THE CURRENT GUIDELINES The
two newest guidelines on the prevention of allergies in infants
and children, both published in 2008, included se