Expecting Mother's Study of Consumption or Avoidance of Peanut and Egg (ESCAPE)

The goal of this study is to understand how a mother’s diet, specifically eating peanut and egg in pregnancy and breastfeeding, affects the development of allergies in her child. We will learn how mother’s diet affects the development of the immune system and allergic diseases.

You may qualify if you:

• Are over 18 years old and pregnant
• Are less than 27 weeks into pregnancy who plan to breastfeed for more than 3 months
• Can consume peanuts/peanut products and eggs/foods containing eggs
• Are willing to to be randomly assigned to eat or completely avoid peanut and eggs throughout 4 months of breastfeeding

Procedure

Moms will be randomly placed (like flipping a coin) into eating or avoiding peanut and egg starting at 27 weeks of pregnancy through 4 months of breastfeeding.

Key Study Visits and Samples

• Subjects begin with a visit during pregnancy to go over consent, eligibility, family history, and collection of mother blood and house dust samples.
• At 27 weeks of pregnancy until 4-months postpartum, mothers will complete a daily peanut and egg questionnaire. Starting at 1-week postpartum there will be a weekly breast milk questionnaire.
• Study time points are at 1-week, 1-month, 2-months, 3-months, 4-months and 12-months postpartum.
• Starting with the 1-month visit, infant saliva, maternal breast milk and house dust will be collected, and at 4 months mother and infant blood and infant stool will be collected.

Length of Follow-up

The study will begin at 27 weeks of pregnancy, and the last visit will be 12 months after delivery.

More Information

Please contact us for more information:
(585) 275-4640
Allergy_Research@urmc.rochester.edu

Principal Investigator: Kirsi Järvinen-Seppo, M.D., Ph.D.
Study Sponsor: National Institutes of Health