SUPERMARKETGURU FOOD &
HEALTH WEEKLY NEWSFLASH!
Soy Milk and Creams with Peanut Oil
Published on: March 29, 2003by Melissa T. Shultz
The results of a study suggest a possible link between the application of creams that contain peanut oils on infants and their chance of developing life-threatening peanut allergies early in life. The study also suggests a link between drinking soy milk as an infant and the development of peanut allergies.
The study followed about 14,000 children from birth to pre-school. Forty-nine children were designated as "highly likely" to be allergic to peanuts. Scientists found that the preschool-age children whose parents had rubbed them as infants with creams that contain peanut oil were almost seven times as likely as children who had not been exposed to the creams to have an allergy to the nut. Products that may contain peanut oil, often listed as Arachis oil, are often used for diaper rash or dry skin in newborns. When creams that contain peanut oil are applied, the inflammatory cells present in the baby's skin as a result of the condition react to the peanut protein. As a result, the body thinks of peanuts as something it needs to attack, leading to an allergic response.
Parents may want to avoid using these products on infants with skin conditions especially those with a high risk of developing peanut allergies.
Infants who drink soy milk and soy products were also almost three times as likely to have peanut allergies. Soybeans and peanuts are both legumes, and children who become sensitive to one can also become sensitive to the other.
Check with your child's doctor before making any changes in your child's diet or prescribed creams.
The study was published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
