Peanut allergy & soy

Nutrition Action Healthletter, June, 2003

British preschool children were more likely to be allergic to peanuts if they had been fed soy milk or formula, had eczema or other rashes, were exposed to skin lotions with peanut oil, or had a family history of peanut allergy.

Soy protein could cause a cross-reaction to peanut protein, which has a similar chemical structure, the authors speculated. And it's possible that babies become sensitized to low levels of protein in peanut oil when it passes through inflamed skin.

What to do: It's too early to say whether soy milk or formula contributes to peanut allergies. To play it safe, avoid treating diaper rash, eczema, or other rashes with skin lotions that contain peanut oil.

New Eng. J. Med. 348: 977, 2003.