Q&A with Dr Andrew Clark, consultant in paediatric allergy, who is leading the world's largest peanut allergy study

[GeraldineMumsnet]

Dr Andrew Clark is a consultant in paediatric allergy at Addenbrookes NHS Foundation Trust and he has been in the news because he's leading a £1 million NHS-sponsored study into peanut allergy.

We're very pleased that Dr Clark, whose other research and clinical projects focus on improving the care of children with food allergy, has agreed to answer your questions about children's food allergies.

We'll send over the questions on this thread to Dr Clark on 24 April and put up his answers during the first week of May.

Thanks to Dr Clark, and TIA for your questions.

[cardamomginger]

I have a diagnosed severe multiple nut allergy (worst offenders almonds and peanuts) and am currently 17.5 weeks pregnant with my first child. Obviously, I continue to avoid all nuts and carry my epipen with me at all times. I am keen that my child will be able to eat nuts and will not have a restricted diet. However, I am also concerned that due to my own diagnosis, there is an increased risk that she/he will be nut allergic. Should I introduce nut products in the diet once he/she is weaned? At what age is best? Is there a "controlled" way in which I should do this?
Many thanks!

[Katisha]

Sorry you may not have time to answer this one as it's a bit off topic about eggs. Both sons when very young (now 10 and 8) have immediately been sick on eating lightly cooked egg. So we have avoided egg for years. They seem OK with cake now but still can feel a bit dodgy in the tummy after some things that have egg as ingredient. eg ice cream that turns out to have had egg in it.

I would like to know whether they are growing out of it but am rather loath to feed them omelette. Would it be best to have allergy tests somewhere or just bite the bullet and try to persuade them to try some quiche or something?

What I am asking basically is will giving them egg make matters worse or better?

[gandababies]

Hi Dr Clark,

I wondered what the current advice was for siblings of children with nut allergy.

My eldest child is anaphylactic to peanuts. I have two more children and one on the way, the eldest of which is due to start school in September. We have not fed either child nuts but do allow them products with cross contamination issues when our daughter is not with us. I would like to know one way or another before my son starts school, is feeding him a spoon of peanut butter in the car park at the local A & E the best option or can you advise something different - btw he has never shown any sign of allergy.

THANK YOU!

[QwertyQueen]

Hi
My DS, when 2 had a skin pick test for peanut allergy and he reacted a lot with a huge welt and as such since then we carry an epipen and do all the usual avoiding tactic.
He is now 3.5 and had blood tests for allergies recently - they tested the serum (That is the phrase the doctor used) and it came back as highly allergic to dust mites and "boderline" allergy to peanuts. Would this indicate that he may be outgrowing it?
My understanding is that it is not an exact science and I should continue as if he is highly allergic.

[jamhappi]

Hello Dr Clark,

My son has had an allergy to eggs since he was around a year old. This resulted in his eyes swelling up and a red rash coming up. We stopped him from eating eggs. After tests it turned out that he was allergic to eggs, nuts and some fruits. (pears)

My son is now five and is happily eating eggs without any reaction. should we try nuts with him? the same way as we have tried eggs with him???

Thank you.

[almondfinger]

Hello Dr Clark,

My daughter (2.5) first had a reaction to hummus (sesame seed) at about 10 mths. She has eczema since she was 3 weeks old, kept under control with cortisone. She is allergic to all nuts and seeds, egg, tomato, shellfish, beef and lamb.

How common is it to be allergic to beef and lamb? I thought rice and lamb were the 2 things one could eat on a serious exclusion diet and work up from there. My husband thinks its the render from the fat rather then the actual meat. Do you have any thoughts/research on this?

She has now developed hayfever and is in shreds at the moment with an ezcema flare up on her face and the rhinitis.

I am studying nutrition and having some success with supplemetation of probiotics and diet. I'm fast losing faith in conventional medicine where every time I bring her to the doc I'm offered antibiotics and have to bring my consultant's letter to ensure her prescription for .0025% cortisone is filled properly. Last week the doc told me what I had was too strong to use on her (3 month duration) chapped lips and gave me a script for 5%!!!

If you are looking for candidates for your study please let me know where I can apply.

Thank you.

[bobafett]

Hi dr Clarke

we have an 8 year old son with allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, milk and eggs.

My question relates to the desensitisation process you have adopted in the peanut allergy trials, as my son became intolerant to soya milk through over exposure when used as a dairy alternative.
He can now only tolerate soya milk for a couple of days before his excema flares and he begins to come out in hives.
Why is this not the case in the peanut trials?
Would my son have a similar outcome if he was to try the peanut desensitisation?

Many thanks

[cakenomore]

hello Dr Clark,

I would be interested to hear your opinion on leaky gut theories and multiple food allergies. I have read on the internet about the link between increased gut permneability and the body becoming sensitised to food. That certain things can weaken the gut such as an imbalance of unhealthy bacteria. In fact my son of 18 months had thrush in his mouth that we struggled to get rid of due to reinfection through my nipples that had eczema and thrush. could this have prehaps contributed to his food allergies?

Are there supplements or probiotics that you could recomend for a child of 18 months to strengthen their gut, or do you think that would be a waste of time.

I have also read about rotation diets for multiple food allargy sufferers to help prevent them from becoming allargic to more foods. Does this go against your theories. would you recomend rotating foods as much as possible or not?

In your opinion should all children with a peanut allergy carry an eppipen whether asthmatic or not? My son is allergic to peanuts but as has never been exposed to them even through breastfeeding or in the womb i have no idea how he would react if accidentaly exposed.

Thankyou

[countrygirl831]

My son has just turned 18 and has had multiple allergies all his life, including peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs and even lily pollen. He wants to travel during a gap year, which worries the hell out of me but doesn't seem to faze him. He always carries 2 epipens with him and a Medic Alert card, plus Piriton and inhalers.

1. Would he be able to replace an epipen while abroad (Australia or America) if he needed to use one?

1. Do you know of any adult trials taking place?

[Holiday123]

Dear Dr Clark,

I have a son who is now 19 and has been allergic to peanuts since the age of 2. I was just wondering as you are doing a desensitisation study that we are doing more harm than good by keeping our home totally nut free as maybe if he was exposed to tiny traces it may benefit his immunity better.

I would be grateful for any advice you can give.

Many thanks

[VenusdeMedici]

Dear Dr Clark,

My son was allergic to a number of substances as a baby/toddler (dairy, fish, tomatoes, etc), usually getting hives around his mouth and on his body, although he grew out of these allergies by age 4. Due to this - and a strong family history of anaphylactic reactions to various foods (esp dairy, eggs, fish), bee stings and penincillin, as well as asthma, eczema and hayfever - he was therefore advised to not be introduced to nuts until he is 6 or 7 years old, to prevent him from developing an allergy to them - and so he has never had any nuts whatsoever to this day.

He is now 6, and still has atopic signs, with eczema, contact dermatitis (eg to face paints, Crocs shoes) and possible asthma, but is able to eat everything except nuts (which we have still never tried). Should we now start introducing nuts to him, and, if so, how? Gradually? In things? Which nuts first? How frequently? In A&E? Is there a particular method I could follow, please?

I also have a daughter, aged 4, who, as a result of my son and our family history, I have also been advised to keep nut-free for the moment. She doesn't seem particularly atopic. When should I start introducing nuts to her, and how?

Many thanks indeed.

[Sibble]

Dear Dr Clark

I appreciate that you may not be able to answer conclusively but I was wondering if there is any connection between taking 'GROUND LSA - Ground Linseeds, Sunflower Seeds, and Almonds' during pregnancy and tree nut/sesame allergies in children.

I took this 'supplement' daily during my pregnancy with my son who is severely allergic to both tree nuts and sesame as I thought it would be beneficial to his growth and development. If there is a proven or possible link would it be sensible to advise pregnant women of the possible connection.

Thanks you in advance

[VenusdeMedici]

PS: Sorry I should have added to my post of 2.18am this morning:

I avoided all nuts when I was both pregnant and breastfeeding with my children (as advised, due to my and my family's history of allergies). I have also banned all nuts from the house, and have avoided them myself, since I first becamse pregnant with my first child. Therefore, as I have also ensured that both my children have avoided them completely since birth (again as advised), I am absolutely sure that they have never been exposed to any nuts, even in small quantities. Which is why I am so nervous about when/how I should introduce them to my atopic 6 year old especially, as well as my less-atopic 4 year old.

Many thanks, again, and much appreciated.

[CatherineMumsnet]

Hi all, just to let you know that Andrew Clark should be coming back with his answers by the end of this week, which means we'll have them up on the thread by early next week.
Thanks for your patience.

[CatherineMumsnet]

Yes, by tomorrow at the latest

[tatt]

Any progress on this? Please at least tell us you have the replies.

[tatt]

agree - we've been very patient. I'm fed up of politics and would like to read something important on this site!

[LoveBeingAHungParliament]

I've had a banana in my hand since April 19th and would like to know if i can give it to dd or not, my arm aches

[Chandra]

I can't help but think that when it comes to question about allergies there is always a looooooooong wait to get the answers....

(tongue in cheek comment!)

[LaDiDaDi]

hoping for some answers today

[LoveBeingAHungParliament]