Understanding the diets of children with peanut allergies to inform healthy eating guidelines
Dr Tracy Lee seeks to help children cope with some of the common consequences of peanut allergy so they can enjoy a healthy diet and better quality of life.
Peanut allergy is the most prevalent food allergy in school-aged children, affecting 1 in 4 children with food allergies. It’s the most common cause of severe allergic reactions and fatalities related to food.
It is also a significant public health concern, with up to 3% of children in developed countries affected (around 160,000 Australian children).
Despite its prevalence, there are no dietary or healthy eating guidelines for children with peanut allergy. The only advice is to avoid allergens.
Dr Tracy Lee is working to understand food acceptance and consumption patterns in children with peanut allergy, so she can develop recommendations to support these children.
“The social and dietary restrictions caused by allergen avoidance can have a real impact on quality of life, an important outcome measure in children with peanut allergy,” Dr Lee said.
“There can be considerable psychological and economic burdens for children with peanut allergies and their families.
“Psychological effects commonly include food neophobia, or avoidance of new foods, due to fears arising from an allergic reaction. Economic burdens are mainly associated with medical costs, such as emergency medications and hospitalisations, as well as extra food costs to prepare special meals for peanut-allergic children,” she explained.
As part of her Deakin University Executive Dean of Health Research Fellowship, Dr Lee will explore the quality of peanut-allergic children’s diets.
She will also examine food neophobia, assessing children’s acceptance of different food textures and how this relates to food neophobia and diet quality.
In collaboration with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), Dr Lee’s research will help provide both caregivers and healthcare providers with tailored healthy eating guidelines for children with peanut allergy. It will also inform MCRI’s allergy treatment programs.
Findings may shape future dietary guidelines and inform policy development, with potential implications for the Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergies (ASCIA) Dietary Guide on Peanut Allergy, which currently emphasises allergen avoidance alone.
