Study Reveals Air Pollution Linked to Persistent Peanut Allergy in Childhood

Melbourne: A recent study led by Melbourne researchers at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne has found that exposure to higher levels of air pollution during infancy is linked to the development of persistent peanut allergies throughout childhood.

The findings, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, emphasize that poor air quality not only contributes to peanut allergies but also sustains them over the first decade of life. However, no similar link was found for egg allergy or eczema.

The study involved over 5,200 children from the HealthNuts study, who were recruited at age one and followed up at four, six, and ten years.

Researchers tracked exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at each participant’s home. They used oral food challenges to confirm food allergies—considered the gold standard for diagnosis.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Rachel Peters highlighted the broader implications:

“The rise in allergy prevalence has occurred at a similar time to increased urbanization, leading to the belief that environmental factors may be contributing to high allergy rates. Policies aimed at tackling air pollution could potentially reduce the development and persistence of peanut allergies.”

Dr Diego Lopez from the University of Melbourne further explained how pollutants might trigger allergies:

“Air pollutants have an irritant and inflammatory effect that may boost the immune system’s pro-allergic response, potentially triggering the development of food allergies.”

Mae, an 8-year-old diagnosed with multiple allergies, experienced her first anaphylactic reaction at The Royal Children’s Hospital. Her mother, Eleanor Jenkin, described the challenges her family faces:

“We were hopeful she would grow out of the food allergies, but now we have come to accept that Mae will be living with serious and ongoing allergies.”

The researchers stress that improving air quality through better city design, increased use of public transport, and non-combustion fuels could significantly lower allergy rates.

The study, supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia, aims to inform public health policies that can enhance children's quality of life by reducing early-life air pollution exposure.