A study conducted by New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital suggests that allergy-prone infants between the ages of 3 and 15 months may have an increased risk of peanut allergies if their mothers ingested peanuts during their pregnancy.

The researchers found this susceptibility in infants in this age group who already had-or were likely to develop-milk or egg allergies.

The study evaluated 503 infants at 5 different sites around the country. After testing their blood, researchers found that 140 had a strong peanut sensitivity, and that mothers' consumption was a significant predictor of this test result.

Research over the last few years has produced uncertain results pertaining to the effect of peanut consumption during pregnancy on the risk of peanut allergy in infants. "While our study does not definitively indicate that pregnant women should not eat peanut products during pregnancy, it highlights the need for further research in order to make recommendations about dietary restrictions", said the present study's lead author, Dr. Scott Sicherer.

In 2000 the American Academy of Pediatricians recommended that women avoid eating peanut products while pregnant and breastfeeding if their family history suggested an increased risk of their infants developing allergies. The recommendation was withdrawn in 2008 for lack of scientific support.

While the present research does have some limitations, the findings represent another step towards identifying preventative measures that may reduce the impact of this potentially fatal allergy.