A new study has revealed that pregnant women need not be afraid of eating peanuts, as consuming nuts may reduce allergy risk in their kids.

The study by Michael Young , MD, of Boston Children’s Division of Allergy and Immunology showed that increased peanut consumption by pregnant mothers who weren’t nut allergic was associated with lower risk of peanut allergy in their offspring.

To define the relationship between maternal diet and the development of food allergy in offspring, Young and his team analyzed large amounts of data provided by the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS).

Examining the records of 8,205 children, the researchers positively identified 140 cases of peanut or tree nut allergies. They then examined the diets of each child’s mother- specifically, peanut and nut consumption during the peri-pregnancy period and compared them with the dietary habits of pregnant women whose children did not develop a peanut allergy.

The researchers found that the rate of peanut allergy was significantly lower among children in the study whose mothers ate peanuts during the peri-pregnancy period.

Although this is a substantial finding, the data demonstrate only an association between maternal diet and the risk of peanut allergy in children.

The study is published in JAMA Pediatrics.