When I was pregnant with our first, I was asked to be in the study that
these results were based on. I was told that my peanut intake would be
controlled into either a No Peanut Group, A Lots of Peanuts Group or a Few
Peanuts Group. When my child was born I would continue this practice with the
child until it was three and then it would be gauged to see whether it had a
peanut allergy or not.
Now, usually I’m a bit of a Helpful Harry
and tend to think everything is lovely and if I can do something to help, then
no problem. I’m sure it was only because I lived in the wilds of Dorset that I
didn’t volunteer for Let’s Find Someone Stupid to Be Given Ebola to See What
Happens trials. However, in these first months of pregnancy, I had turned
Official Earth Mother and decided to consult my womb.
Luckily my womb said, But Lorraine,
if your body decides that it needs to chew on scouring pads, then you need to
be able to chew on scouring pads because it means that your body needs
something within those pads (the soap, my partner would probably say).
Therefore, I turned down the offer and stood back, munching on peanuts only
when I consulted my womb and it decided I needed a peanut or two.
The sad thing is, or course, that
18% of those children in the No Peanut category now have a peanut allergy. It
is really sad to think that there might be some children now who are in danger
simply because their mother declined the few peanuts she or her small child
might otherwise have had.
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