Pam,
Sensitization to any food certainly can and *does* occur. Dr.
Del in Denver, who was a wonderful resource for me when putting together
a panel on allergies, said it was well-known (not to me, but hey, I
often live under a rock) that most hiccoughs in utero are a reaction to a
food to which the fetus has already been sensitized. (There is no overt
reaction to the first food exposure, or sensitization. Symptoms only
appear after subsequent exposures to the offending substance). For an
anaphylactic reaction to occur, sensitization has certainly taken
place....would be difficult to track *when*. How often does/did this mom
eat peanuts (or whatever).
Many studies have been done on allergies and IMHO are very clear
that if a family wishes to avoid severe allergies they struggle with in
one child in all the rest, the mother must *totally avoid* the food
during entire pregnancy and lactation. Works, too. Other children do
not have the misery the first did.
Seems absurd to me to accuse LLLI or anyone of a coverup!
Anaphylactic reactions are just not as common (thank goodness) as other
manifestations of allergies (digestive, respiratory, eyes, skin, nervous
system, etc).
Karen Zeretzke, MEd, IBCLC
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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