Pharmacy Daily | New link to peanut allergy

EXPOSURE to higher levels of air pollution in infancy is linked to a heightened risk of peanut allergies persisting throughout childhood, according to a new study by Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne.

Published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the study suggests that improving air quality could reduce peanut allergy prevalence and persistence.

The study, part of Melbourne's HealthNuts project, followed 5,276 children from age one to 10.

Researchers analysed air pollution exposure, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), at participants' homes and found that higher levels of these pollutants correlated with increased peanut allergy risk, though no link was found with egg allergies or eczema.

MCRI's investigator A/Prof Rachel Peters noted, "this rise in allergies has coincided with urbanisation, supporting theories that environmental factors contribute to high allergy rates".

She highlighted the study's unique use of an oral food challenge to confirm peanut allergies.

University of Melbourne researcher Dr Diego Lopez explained that airborne pollutants may promote pro-allergic immune responses, especially when peanut allergens are also present, but further research is needed to clarify this mechanism.

Prof Peters advocates for air quality policies, saying, "early-life interventions to reduce air pollution exposure could prevent peanut allergies".

Allergic disease is one of Australia's greatest public health challenges, with one in 10 developing a food allergy in their first year of life.

Measures like urban planning improvements, better public transport, and transitioning to non-combustion fuels could all help, stated the MCRI researchers.

The findings also connect to the broader research by MCRI's Generation Victoria (GenV) study, examining climate change's impact on children's health, gathering data from more than 120,000 participants, including 48,000 babies.

MCRI researchers are linking information on heat vulnerability with perinatal and child health data from the GenV cohort and are seeking to include temperature extremes and climate-related disaster evidence in the future.

MCRI researcher A/Prof Suzanne Mavoa said this would improve our understanding of how climate change impacts the health of children and families, identify those most at risk, and test policies and interventions to better protect against severe weather events. JG