new study on allergy suggests care needed with skin creams

[tatt]

just got the anaphylaxis campaign newsletter and it reports a study where applying peanut protein extract to broken skin on mice interfered with the process whereby tolerance is induced when peanut is eaten. Quite a long way from that to saying that creams with oil in may cause allergy in some children but another reason to check skin creams carefully and avoid those with peanut oil.

Study reference is "Epicutaneous exposure to peanut protein prevents oral tolerance and enhances allergic sensitisation. J Strid, J Hourihane et al Clin Exp Allergy 2005; 35:757-766

this has been known for a number of years. Extract of peanut oils are quite commonly found in adult skin creams and should thus be avoided in infants (according to my doctor DH)

I wasn't aware of this. Thanks for the information

been suspicions for a number of years but I think this is the first study to actually suggest a mechanism. Peanut oil used to be in some creams used for sore nipples and I'm told is in zinc and castor oil cream.

They label peanut oil as arachis oil in skin creams just to confuse us (latin). So check labels for that, not just for peanut oil. Don't think it's in Sudocrem - just checked label and no arachis or peanut oil listed.