A way to spot who might get allergies
It appears that there are signs pointing to which children will get food allergies, well before the hives, rashes, and other allergic reactions occur. A new study testing the blood from the umbilical cord of newborns showed that certain infants had blood that “contains more chemical signals that promote inflammation and lower-than-normal concentrations of natural regulatory T cells, which tone down immune system responses.” In short, these newborns had cells that produce hyperactive immune response.
For now the scientists behind the study can’t make any suggestions as to what might reduce the risk of these babies going on to develop food allergies as they get older. Down the line, with further study, they may be able to isolate what causes this hyperactive response (a food a mother eats during pregnancy or exposure to something in the environment? a genetic link?) and make recommendations and/or treatments.