Talking Allergies

Hi there,

My year old son was just diagnosed with a peanut allergy 2 weeks ago.

A friend of mine's son is allergic to peanuts and her doctor told her that if he doesn't like green beans, that she shouldn't push it because it is from the same family as the peanut. Does anyone know anything about that?

Thanks!

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I believe that they are both from the legume family.
It is often the case that children have an aversion to foods which they are allergic to (well, some children have an aversion to many foods which they are not allergic to as well ).
Allergists do not like to test unless there has been a reaction to the food. Skin prick tests have had false postitives and a person may end up on a diet more restricted than necessary.

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Moderator
Daughter: asthma, allergies to egg, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, most legumes (not soy) & penicillin. Developing hayfever type allergies.
Husband: no allergies
Me: allergies to some tree that flowers in May
Cat: allergic to beef, pork and lamb

This is very true I am living proof. My mther used to make me eat rice, and drink orange juice as a kid. She would also make push peaches on me and make me eat them. I am allergic to all three.

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Karen in Ohio mom of 7
Allergic to tons and tons of food as well as perfumes, scented air sprays and cleaners. Hubby to Fish, ds #2 Shellfish, youngest to Eggplant, potato, Caesin, Raw Tomato & spinach.

True MomofaHalfDoz, it can happen that "pickiness" is a sign of allergy.

However, reactions to green beans are not very common. Many of us with peanut allergy can eat them without incident.

For the new issue of Allergic Living, I reviewed an allergy book that I really like. It's called "On the Nature of Food Allergy". The author is a well-known U.S. allergist, Dr. Paul Hannaway. On the subject of peanuts and legumes, he says: "fortunately, peanut allergy does not require elimination of the entire legume family, as chances of reacting to other legumes, such as soybeans, beans, or peas, is only 5 percent. The one exception to this rule is lupines and lentils."

Now, I'm allergic to both soy and peanuts, yet still can eat other legumes. So perhaps the doctor Rambec mentioned is concerned about that one particular p.a. child.

But I wouldn't assume your child is similarly affected. And Hannaway reminds that legumes like beans and peas are great sources of protein, B-complex vitamins, potassium. So I don't think I'd be looking to avoid them if it was my child, unless there was a good reason to.

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Allergic to soy, peanut, shellfish, penicillin

We also do not force our sons to eat foods that they have strong aversions to. It makes me very nervous from an allergy perspective. I don't want them to learn to override the feelings and sensations that their bodies are giving them in response to a certain food, even if it is just a dislike thing.

And one of my sons is allergic to peanuts and peas, and possibly lentils. For now, we are avoiding all legumes, except green beans and soy. Sometimes people with a food allergy can be sensitive to other foods in the same botanical group, like people with peanut allergy being sensitive to other legumes. That's probably why your friend's child's doctor instructed her not to push the green beans. But like Gwen said, it's only a small percentage of PA people that have other legume sensitivities or allergies.

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1 son allergic to eggs, peanuts, green peas, chick peas, lentils and tomatoes
(avoiding tree nuts and most other legumes too)
1 son allergic to eggs, and has outgrown peanuts
Both with many environmental allergies, asthma and eczema

As an example, my son is peanut / nut allergic but also eats green beans, peas, chick peas, soy, etc. without any problem.

Wow, this website is helpful!

Interesting: as a child I was very, very fussy... still am although I have come a long way. People act like it's my own choice but believe me, I would do without the curse. That being said, I wonder if I have food allergies, or am prone to them or am pre-allergic or something, if there is such a thing. Anyway...

About my son: as it turns out he does not like the green beans. He used to back when it was one of the few solids he was introduced to, but now he will literally spit it out. Something he does not do with anything else. I'll mention it to the doctor but I'm considering just getting rid of the bag.

Twinmom I think I will be like you and not force when there is an aversion. I hated being forced as a child, and in retrospect I probably had the aversion grow as I was being pushed. I mean, it's not like my baby doesn't eat stuff that's good for him since we limit junk to special occasions...

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English as a Second Language + French + Math + English
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Probably not. Most fussy eaters are just fussy.

My son is allergic to insects. He absolutely HATES peanutbutter. Any time he tasted it he would vomit. Of course, he had that reaction to most vegetables and anything with fibre in it. He was tested and thankfully it was negative. He never had any actual *reactions* just vomiting, which can be a reaction, but in his case was just a very strong gag reflex.

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self: allergy to sesame seeds and peanuts
3 sons each with at least one of the following allergies: peniciilin, sulfa-based antibiotic, latex, insect bites/stings

When my oldest was a baby, she would gag when she tried green beans and peas. We thought it was cute at the time , and just stopped giving them to her because she gagged. We found out she was allergic to peanuts at age 3, but she is okay with beans and peas now...but I do wonder if she was allergic as a baby and has since outgrown beans and peas.

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DD age 9 1/2 -peanuts, nuts,
DD age 7 1/2 - milk, eggs, chicken, peanuts, treenuts, cats, dogs,
DS age 2 1/2
Husband- asthma, eggs, treenuts, fish, shellfish environmental
Self - penicillan, eurithromiacin, mild laytex allergy.

My two PA daughters are both allergic to green peas and tested positive for allergy to other legumes.

I keep them away from all legumes when possible. Neither of them eat green beans.