An innovative study investigating whether high environmental exposure to peanut is a risk for developing peanut allergy is being run at the Department of Pediatric Allergy, King’s College London School of Medicine.
In this project, (first reported in a recent allergy news blog) funded by children’s health charity Action Medical Research, researchers are studying 3,250 children from the USA, Australia, Sweden, and the UK who have been followed up from birth or early infancy. They are measuring the levels of peanut protein in dust samples taken from the children’s homes: from bed linen, mattresses, and sofas.
The aim is to find out whether babies who are exposed to high levels of peanuts in house dust are more likely to develop a peanut allergy. They are also investigating whether babies who have an impaired skin barrier, e.g. Children with eczema or certain variations in a gene called filaggrin, are especially vulnerable.
The number of children who are allergic to peanuts has tripled in the last 10 years. Along with this, peanuts and tree nuts have been reported to cause more than 90 percent of fatalities due to food allergic reactions. Around one in 50 children in the UK are currently affected, approximately 250,000 children. Once diagnosed, the majority of children remain allergic to peanuts for the rest of their lives: only one in five grow out of their allergy.
As there is no proven long-term treatment, affected children must avoid eating peanuts in any form, at all times, which can be difficult as traces of peanuts are found in many different foods.
It is not known what causes peanut allergy, however recent evidence suggests that skin contact with traces of peanuts, e.g. In house dust or skin creams could be a cause.
Commenting on the research, Clinical Lecturer in Pediatric Allergy Dr Helen Brough says: “We are excited about this project as the results could provide us a greater understanding of the role of peanut protein in the home environment in the development of peanut allergy, and help us to give families practical advice on how to minimize the risk of developing peanut allergy.”
This study should increase the knowledge of how peanut allergy develops, and could also help researchers develop strategies to prevent peanut and possibly other food allergies from developing.
Professor Lack’s team conducting this research recently showed a link between household peanut consumption and environmental exposure to peanut in the home. The results showed that the previous six months’ household peanut consumption in the home was related to the amount of peanut dust that was measurable in the parent’s bed-sheets and also in their baby’s bed-sheets and play areas.
Sources:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/206281.php
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