• Project status: Active
Pregnant woman cooking with family

By one year of age, 10 per cent (one in every 10) of babies will develop a food allergy.

This research is testing whether the amount of eggs and peanuts a mother eats during pregnancy and breastfeeding has an influence on her baby’s food allergy development. 

Evidence to date suggests that the ideal time to prevent food allergy may be during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but little is known about the effect of what mothers eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the risk of food allergies in their babies.

This research is testing whether the amount of eggs and peanuts a mother eats during pregnancy and breastfeeding has an influence on her baby’s food allergy development. 

Evidence to date suggests that the ideal time to prevent food allergy may be...

This research is testing whether the amount of eggs and peanuts a mother eats during pregnancy and breastfeeding has an influence on her baby’s food allergy development. 

Evidence to date suggests that the ideal time to prevent food allergy may be during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but little is known about the effect of what mothers eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the risk of food allergies in their babies.

What is PrEggNut?

This allergy research is testing whether the amount of eggs and peanuts a mother eats during pregnancy and breastfeeding has an influence on her baby’s food allergy development. Study results will develop national recommendations about how much egg and peanut to eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding to reduce egg and peanut allergies in babies.

Information for participants

Who is taking part?

Please note that recruitment for this study has now closed.

Participants for the study are pregnant women who:

  • Are less than 23 weeks gestation (singleton pregnancy), and
  • Have at least two family members (themselves, partner or child/children) with or with a history of medically diagnosed allergic disease (asthma, eczema, hay fever or food allergy), and
  • Plan to breastfeed for at least 4 months, and
  • Do NOT have egg or peanut allergy.

What does the study involve?

We have randomly assigned participants to one of two study groups: a ‘standard egg and peanut diet’ group (which is typical for most women) and a ‘high egg and peanut diet’ group. Participants were asked to follow the diet advice for their group from 22 weeks gestation until their baby is four months of age (or until breastfeeding ceases). We will compare the outcomes of egg and peanut allergies in the babies of the two groups at one year of age.

Contact us

PrEggNuts Study
Murdoch Children's Research Institute
The Royal Children's Hospital
50 Flemington Road
Parkville VIC 3052
Australia

Phone: show phone number
Email: 

child in hospital

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